
VETERINARY SCIENCE ASSOCIATION 
OF AMERICA 



NOTES ON 

Diseases of Swine, Sheep, 
Poultry and the Dog 

Cause, Symptoms and Treatments 



BY 



CHARLES J. KORINEK, V. S. 

Graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, in affiliation with 
the University of Toronto, Canada. Hon. Member of the On- 
tario Veterinary Medical Society. Ex. State Veterinarian for 
Oregon. Ex. President of the Oregon State Veterinary Medical 
Board of Examiners. Author of "The Veterinarian". Princi- 
pal of the Veterinary Science Association of America. Sixteen 
-years of Practical Experience as a Veterinary Surgeon. 




PUBLISHED BY THE 

VETERINARY SCIENCE ASSOCIATION 
OF AMERICA 



y 



VETERINARY SCIENCE ASSOCIATION 
OF AMERICA 



> 



NOTES ON 



Diseases of Swine, Sheep, 
Poultry and the Dog 

Cause, Symptoms and Treatments 

BY 

CHARLES J. KORINEK, V. S. 

N 

Graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, in affiliation with 
the University of Toronto, Canada. Hon. Member of the On- 
tario Veterinary Medical Society. Ex. State Veterinarian for 
Oregon. Ex. President of the Oregon State Veterinary Medical 
Board of Examiners. Author of "The Veterinarian". Princi- 
pal of the Veterinary Science Association of America. Sixteen 
years of Practical Experience as a Veterinary Surgeon. 




PUBLISHED BY THE 

VETERINARY SCIENCE ASSOCIATION 
OF AMERICA 






COPYRIGHT 191 f 

by the 

VETERINARY SCIENCE ASSOCIATION 

OF AMERICA 



i^ 



■CLA453709 



vr 



22 1917 



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TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Chapter I. Diseases of Swine, Cause, Symptoms 

and Treatment 6 

Chapter II. Diseases of Sheep and Goats, Cause, 

Symptoms and Treatment 37 

Chapter III. Diseases of Poultry, Cause, Symp- 
toms and Treatment 60 

Chapter IV. Diseases of the Dog, Cause, Symp- 
toms and Treatment 85 



TABLE OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Points of Swine 3 

Points of Sheep 35 

Points of Poultry 58 

Points of the Dog 83 



m 



DISEASES OF 

SWINE 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND 
TREATMENT 




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to 
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CO 

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to 
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I— I 

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Location of Parts of Swine 



1. Mouth. 

2. Nostrils. 

3. Face. 

4. Eyes. 

5. Ears. 

6. Jaws. 

7. Jowl. 

8. Neck. 

9. Shoulder. 

10. Fore flanks. 

11. Chest floor. 

12. Pasterns. 

13. Dew claws. 



14. Sheath. 
15: Belly. 

16. Side or ribs. 

17. Heart girth. 

18. Back. 

19. Loin. 

20. Rump. 

21. Coupling. 

22. Rear flanks. 

23. Tail. 

24. Thigh. 

25. Hocks. 



PREFACE 

This chapter on diseases of swine has been written 
with the purpose of placing in the hands of Students 
and the Veterinary Profession, a book of practical 
worth; hence, all unnecessary technical language or 
terms have been eliminated and only such language used 
as all may read and understand. 

The treatment recommended in each disease is one 
I have used and found efficient in my many years of 
practice as a Veterinary Surgeon. 

If my readers will study the following chapter care- 
fully, they will save much unnecessary loss to the swine 
industry and be of great value to the community in 
which they reside. 

Charles J. Korinek, V. S. 



DISEASES OF SWINE 



CHAPTER I. 

HOG REGULATOR AND TONIC. 

Nux Vomica, one pound; Hardwood Charcoal, two 
pounds; Sulphur, two pounds; Common Salt, three 
pounds; Sulphide of Antimony, one and one-half 
pounds; Glauber Salts, two pounds; Bicarbonate of 
Soda, four pounds; Hyposulphite of Soda, four pounds; 
Nitrate of Potash, one pound; Quassia, one-half pound; 
Gentian Root, one pound; Iron Sulphate, one pound; 
pulverize and mix well. 

To every one hundred pounds of hog weight, give 
one tablespoonful in feed or swill once or twice daily. 
For hogs weighing two hundred pounds, the dose would 
be two tablespoonf uls ; for a hog weighing fifty pounds, 
one-half tablespoonful. 

Hogs, like other animals, require tonics, bowel regu- 
lators and worm expellers. For these purposes, I have 
prescribed under a number of the diseases of hogs, which 
I cover in this chapter, the above general tonic and regu- 
lator which I have used in my personal practice with 
marked success, especially serving the purpose of aid- 
ing hogs in the convalescence from debilitating diseases 
and in their recovery from a general run-down condi- 
tion. 

Aside from its general tonic and regulative effect, 
this prescription contains nerve tonics, intestinal anti- 
septics, laxatives, worm expellers, and aids digestion, 
etc. 

If regularly given to hogs, and sanitary conditions 
are maintained, this tonic and regulator will largely 
fortify them against contagious diseases. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 



ABORTION. 

Cause. — Sows may abort at any state of pregnancy 
by slipping, falling, receiving kicks, or by being caught 
while crawling through or under fences. Sows may also 
abort when allowed to crawl into quarters where there 
are other hogs. Contagious diseases, such as Cholera 
and Pleuropneumonia also produce abortion. There is 
also a contagious form of abortion in sows, but this is 
very uncommon, as the disease spreads very slowly. 

Symptoms. — There is no warning given, as a rule; 
the sows expel their pigs before any signs of abortion are 
noticed. 

In other cases the sows refuse to eat, become uneasy, 
shivering and trembling of the muscles, and straining or 
labor pains are noticed. As a rule, when a sow aborts, 
she will not prepare a bed, as she would normally. 

Treatment. — Preventive is the only safe and sure 
treatment, although when the first signs of abortion ap- 
pear, and there are no signs of the membranes coming 
away, remove the sow to quiet, warm, clean quarters by 
herself, and if straining, give one dram of Chloral- 
Hydrate in her drinking water every two or three hours. 

When a sow aborts, burn the pigs and afterbirth, and 
disinfect the pens with a Coal Tar disinfectant. Keep 
this up for several days, and do not breed until all dis- 
charges from the vagina have ceased flowing. 

ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINE TO HOGS. 

To administer medicine to hogs may seem easy, but, 
nevertheless, it is a difficult task. Never lay a hog on 
his back to drench him, as in so doing there is great 
danger of strangling. The proper method is to stand 
or set him on end, holding him up by the ears, and by 
the use of a bottle with a piece of hose drawn over its 
neck, give the medicine very slowly, so as not to allow 



8 DISEASES OF SWINE 

a large quantity to accumulate in the mouth or throat 
at one time. There is always danger of some of the 
liquid escaping into the lungs and causing the hog to 
strangle, and thus it may produce pneumonia. How- 
ever, this is the best method of giving hogs medicine by 
force. 

Hogs will generally take medicine in their feed or 
drinking water, unless they are very sick, or the medi- 
cine is extremely disagreeable to the taste. 

BAG INFLAMMATION. 

Cause. — Injuries, obstructed teats, accumulation of 
milk in the sow's bag after the loss of part or all of 
her litter. Difficult birth, slight wounds in the bag per- 
mit invasion of germs, which is frequently the common 
cause of bag inflammation. 

Symptoms. — Heat, pain and swelling in one or more 
teats. The general body temperature is elevated one or 
two degrees above normal. The sow perhaps refuses 
her feed, although she will drink water in large quanti- 
ties. 

Treatment. — Feed soft, sloppy food and vegeta- 
bles. Give Epsom Salts, two to four ounces, in milk or 
feed. It is also well to milk the sow by hand, relieving her 
of the milk three or four times a day. This is very nec- 
essary. Camphorated Oil is very soothing, and T would 
recommend its use freely over affected teats. 

BLACK TOOTH. 

Cause. — Black Tooth, so called in swine, is princi- 
pally due to injuries to the teeth received by chewing 
hard matter, such as bone, etc., which causes them to de- 
cay. 

Symptoms. — Toothache. Toothache in swine is 
similar to that exhibited by man, in showing loss of ap- 
petite, salivation, or slobbering, hanging the head most- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT V 

ly to the side which is affected, loss of fear of man, and 
offensive breath. If the hogs are fed on strongly acid 
food for any length of time, their teeth may become 
dark colored. As the teeth are not materially injured, 
so long as decayed tooth substance cannot be noticed, 
and while the appetite and chewing facilities of the hog 
do not appear to be diminished, no interference will be 
necessary. 

It is customary with some people to examine the teeth 
of hogs, and if one tooth is found darker colored than 
the others, it is supposed to be the cause of the hog not 
doing well, if he is in poor condition, and the tooth is 
hammered off flush with the jaw, leaving the broken 
roots, lacerated gums and nerves to increase the hog's 
suffering. If the hog recovers, it is often concluded that 
this was a case of Black Tooth. 

My advice is, if you are determined to have the tooth 
out, extract it properly. Do not break it off. When 
your hogs are not thriving, give them the regulator and 
tonic prescribed on the first page of this chapter. 

BLOOD POISONING. 

{Pyemia Septicemia) 

Cause. — Due to the toxic substance produced by 
germs that invade wounds, bruises, abcesses, or womb 
following farrowing, if lacerated. 

Symptoms. — The seat of injury becomes swollen, 
pus may adhere to the hair, temperature elevated, ap- 
petite poor, hog moves about very slowly, becomes sep- 
arated from the rest of the drove, lies around in some 
cool, quiet place, eventually becomes very weak and 
poor and dies, if good attention is not given. 

Treatment. — Separate from the other hogs and re- 
move to a clean, comfortable place and wash the seat 
of injury with some good disinfectant, as a five-per cent 



10 



DISEASES OF SWINE 



Carbolic Acid solution. In cases of abscess, open it low 
so as to assure good drainage. Keep clean, cool water 
before your hogs at all times. Give mashes made from 
wheat bran and hot water, or any good substantial food 
that is easily digested containing regulator and tonic 
prescribed on the first page of this chapter. 

BRONCHITIS. 

Cause. — Lung worms, poorly ventilated sleeping 
quarters, sleeping in straw stacks, in manure heaps, 
over-heated, filthy pens, where the animals inhale irri- 
tating gases given off the bodies of other hogs, and from 
filth. Smoke and dust are very common producers of 
bronchitis. 

Symptoms. — Breathing fast, appetite poor, slight 
rise in temperature and coughing. The hog is dull and 
stupid, refuses food, but drinks water frequently. 

Treatment. — Preventive; avoid the above named 
causes, but when hogs become affected, move them to 
clean, well ventilated quarters, avoiding dust and gases, 
disinfect bedding and floors with some good disinfectant, 
as Crude Carbolic Acid, sprayed. Also give large doses 
of the hog regulator and tonic as prescribed on the first 
page of this chapter. Feed vegetables, or any easily 
digested food, and hot wheat bran mashes. 

In case the disease is due to lung worms, confine the 
animals in a closed shed and permit them to inhale the 
steam from Turpentine and water for a few minutes, by 
placing water and Turpentine in a tin receptacle holding 
about two gallons, and inserting heated bricks or stones 
into the solution. 

CASTRATION. 

This is generally understood by every stockraiser, 
yet there are some points many do not know. For 
instance, you should use in this operation an antiseptic 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 11 

solution, as Carbolic Acid or Bichloride of Mercury. 
Wash thoroughly with antiseptic your hands and knife, 
also the seat of operation and make your incision as low 
as possible to permit the pus to drain out nicely. If this 
is not practiced, the pus will become absorbed into the 
blood, producing blood poison, which may produce death, 
or at the best will cause the hog to become stunted, 
whereas, if the operation is performed properly, the hog 
will thrive, regardless of the shock from the operation. 
I may add that it is much better to castrate pigs or 
hogs when their stomachs or intestines are empty, and 
it is always good practice to feed laxative and easily 
digested foods sparingly after this operation. 

CHOKING. 

Cause. — Vegetables such as potatoes, etc., roots, as 
carrots, turnips and sometimes pieces of bone or glass, 
lodge in the gullet. Paralysis of the muscular fibres of 
the gullet is a very common cause of choking in swine. 

Symptoms. — The hog is unable to swallow, produc- 
ing a frothing at the mouth and, if the obstruction cannot 
be dislodged, death occurs in a very short time. Some- 
times the obstruction in the gullet may be felt from the 
outside with the hand. 

Treatment. — The administration of small doses of 
Raw Linseed or Olive Oil, or Lard, will assist in dislodg- 
ing the obstruction. Also careful manipulation of the 
gullet from the outside with the hand assists in either 
forcing it into the stomach or bringing it out through 
hog's mouth. If vomiting can be produced, it will dis- 
lodge the obstruction. If immediate results are not 
obtained from the above treatments, I would recommend 
butchering the hog for meat immediately. 



12 DISEASES OF SWINE 

COLD IN THE HEAD. 

(Nasal Catarrh) 

Cause. — Exposure to cold ; a very common condition 
in cold, wet weather when hogs are allowed to sleep in 
manure heaps, straw stacks, or pile up together, when 
they become overheated and later chill. Nasal Catarrh 
may also he due to inhaling dust or irritating gases. 

Symptoms. — The animal is stupid and feverish, 
coughing and sneezing frequently ; appetite is poor, eyes 
watery and inflamed; a discharge of mucus from the 
nose will terminate in yellow pus and the nose, if ex- 
amined, is found to be inflamed and ulcerated. 

Treatment. — The best and safest treatment is to 
provide clean sleeping quarters, avoid overcrowding in 
dusty, dirty sheds, especially during cold weather. Pigs 
affected with cold in the head should be fed on laxative 
food, such as boiled carrots, potatoes, apples, hot wheat 
bran mashes and steamed rolled oats. 

Medical Treatment. — Confine the affected hogs to 
a shed, close windows and doors and any large cracks; 
then compel them to inhale steam from the following 
mixture : Turpentine, eight ounces ; Pine Tar, one pint ; 
Water, two gallons. Place in tin receptacle in center of 
shed and heat the above solution by adding hot bricks 
or stones to the mixture occasionally. Compel the hogs 
to inhale this steam for at least thirty minutes twice a 
day. Give chlorate of Potash in twenty grain doses 
three times a day in feed or drinking water. This treat- 
ment is very successful if the inflammation has not ex- 
tended to the lungs. 

DIARRHOEA IN YOUNG PIGS. 

(Scours) 

Cause. — Decomposed foods, slops, etc., fed to the 
mothers, causing them to give toxic milk. Poorly ven- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 13 

tilated, filthy, cold and damp pens, insufficient exercise, 
lack of sunlight, raising pigs by hand or with other sow. 

Symptoms. — Frequent movement of the bowels, the 
passage being of a grayish-white color and the odor very 
disagreeable. At this stage of the disease, reliable reme- 
dies must be given or the pig will die very soon. 

The discharge from the bowels becomes very thin, the 
tail and legs become soiled, loss of appetite, the pigs 
become weak and dull, hair rough and it is difficult for 
them to move about. In very young pigs, treatment is 
of little value. 

Treatment. — As Scours in pigs is a disease fre- 
quently caused by faulty food and insanitary surround- 
ings, a preventive treatment is of great importance, and 
much better results are thus obtained than by the use of 
medical agents. Medical treatment consists in first 
cleaning away the irritant present in the bowels. For 
this purpose give one to two teaspoonfuls of Castor Oil. 
At the time of farrowing all sows should receive a light 
diet and be kept in clean, dry quarters. The pigs should 
be allowed pure air, sunshine and exercise. If the sow 
appears hot and feverish, give one to three ounces of 
Castor Oil in milk or swill. Avoid feeding decomposed, 
moldy food, or sour milk. To check the diarrhoea in 
pigs, use the following after the irritant is removed or 
cleaned out as above stated: Zinc Sulphocarbolates, 
thirty grains ; Protan, two ounces ; Pulv. Gentian Root, 
two ounces. Make into sixty capsules or powders and 
give one, three or four times a day. The sow should re- 
ceive a dose about eight times the size of that of the pigs. 

HOG CHOLERA. 

(Swine Fever) 

Cause. — By the Bacillus Sius; contaminated food, 
stagnant water, filth, etc., all have a tendency to aid its 
progress. I have seen farms, although located in sec- 
tions where Cholera was prevalent, not in the least 



14 DISEASES OF SWINE 

troubled with the malady, perhaps due to careful feed- 
ing of clean foods, care in watering, cleanliness about the 
pens and sheds and disinfecting occasionally, but no 
doubt a better explanation is that those hogs received 
tonics, containing worm expellers, at least four times a 
year. Many a case of supposed Hog Cholera is due to 
worms irritating and producing inflammation of the in- 
testines, followed by diarrhoea. A person not familiar 
with the disease calls this "hog cholera." In other cases, 
hogs which are fed swills from restaurants, hotels, etc., 
containing soap, washing powders, small particles of 
glass, etc., will die with symptoms leading a person to 
think they had Hog Cholera, but if a thorough investiga- 
tion is made the true cause of death can easily be discov- 
ered. 

Symptoms. — In true Hog Cholera, the temperature 
will be elevated two to four degrees above normal. 
There will be a loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, al- 
though there may be constipation when the hog is first 
affected. The hog wanders off by itself to some cool, 
quiet place and lies down. When it walks it will stagger 
and show great stiffness in its hind parts, due to sore- 
ness of the intestines. The hair will have a roughened 
appearance, the back arched, the eyes inflamed and dis- 
charging pus, red blotches will show themselves back of 
the ears, inside the legs and on the abdomen. At this 
stage the diarrhoea is watery, dark and tinged with 
blood, and very offensive in odor, breathing is very fast 
and labored. The hog grows very weak and dies. 

Treatment. — Prevention must always be borne in 
mind. Do not feed filthy food. Always feed good, 
wholesome food, and give clean water to drink. Watch 
the condition of hog's bowels and regulate them by feed- 
ing. Burn manure and bedding and disinfect carefully. 
Do not permit your hogs to drink out of running streams 
of water, especially if Hog Cholera is in your neighbor- 
hood. When buying hogs, it is well to keep them off by 
themselves for two or three weeks, as they may be dis- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 15 

eased. Do not permit neighbors, their stock or dogs on 
premises when Hog Cholera is raging, as the infection 
of Hog Cholera can be spread very rapidly by matter 
from the affected hogs adhering to the shoes of man, to 
the feet of stock and hogs, etc. 

I am positive that if this method were properly prac- 
ticed by all hog raisers and feeders, Hog Cholera would 
be a very rare disease. 

Serum Treatment. — This is successful in some 
cases, and in others unsuccessful. The latter perhaps is 
due to poor serums, or the disease being so far advanced 
in its progress that the hogs are beyond recovery. Serum 
treatment is very expensive and, as it requires a strictly 
septic operation of injecting the serum, the average hog 
raiser or grower is not qualified to administer the treat- 
ment properly. An additional and necessary expense is 
the services of a Veterinary Surgeon. Therefore, I 
strongly urge adoption of preventive measures as stated. 
Use some good disinfectant, such as Crude Carbolic 
Acid, which destroys the Bacillus of Hog Cholera. Also 
administer hog regulator and tonic as prescribed on first 
page of this chapter. This will expel worms, tone the 
system, regulate the bowels and fortify your hogs against 
Hog Cholera. 

INDIGESTION. 

Cause. — Worms are perhaps one of the most com- 
mon causes. Unwholesome, irritating food or swill con- 
taining soap or washing powder have a tendency to de- 
range the process of digestion. 

Symptoms. — Abdominal pain, vomiting, back 
arched, breathing rapid and temperature elevated from 
two to three degrees. There may be diarrhoea or the 
animal may be constipated. Vomiting, as a rule, relieves 
acute attacks by expelling the irritant from the bowels. 
When it takes a chronic form, the hogs become stunted. 

Treatment. — Endeavor to find out the cause and re- 



16 DISEASES OF SWINE 

move it. If constipated, give Calomel, fifteen to twenty 
grains, or, if diarrhoea appears, give hog regulator and 
tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. Feed 
with hot wheat bran mashes. This will expel all worms 
and aid digestion. 

JAUNDICE. 

(Yellows) 

Cause. — Liver flukes, intestinal worms, gall stones, 
lack of exercise, overfeeding, or a stoppage of the bile 
duct. 

Symptoms. — The white portions of the eyes take on 
a yellow color, as do the membranes of the mouth, back 
arched, hair looks rough, vomiting, temperature ele- 
vated, constipation, although diarrhoea is sometimes 
noticed. The urine is passed frequently, and is of a dark 
amber color. 

Treatment. — This disease requires careful feeding 
and plenty of exercise. Give Calomel, ten to twenty 
grains, then follow with large doses of regulator and 
tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. It is 
important in this disease, especially if due to worms. 
Feed clean swill and vegetables. Give hogs all the pure 
water they will drink. 

KIDNEY CONGESTION. 

Cause. — Hogs are subject to various injuries about 
the kidneys, due to a large number of hogs piling up, 
exposure to cold, wet rains, etc. 

Symptoms. — Small quantities of dark colored urine 
are passed frequently, appetite poor, no energy to move 
about. Hogs lie around a great deal ; at times they may 
be paralyzed and drag their hind quarters. 

Treatment. — Apply cloths or blankets wrung out 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 17 

of hot water over the loin; also give Potassium Acetate 
in twenty grain doses four or five times a day in drinking 
water. Feed soft, sloppy food, containing regulator and 
tonic as prescribed on the first page of this chapter. It 
contains nerve stimulants, just what is required in 
paralysis. 

KIDNEY WORM. 

Cause. — Damp, filthy surroundings seem to favor 
the growth of embryos of this worm. They are taken 
into the digestive canal with the food and eventually pass 
to the region of the kidneys, where they find conditions 
favorable in which to multiply. 

Symptoms. — May produce paralysis of the hind 
quarters, in which case the animal would not exhibit such 
marked tenderness on being pressed over the loins with 
the fingers as it would if the weakness of the hind quar- 
ters was due to a sprain or to rheumatism of the loins. 
Occasionally hogs may suffer from the presence of one 
or more worms in the kidneys ; but the ailment is rarely 
fatal, becoming so only after a long time of suffering 
resulting in a degeneration of one or both kidneys. It 
is almost impossible to diagnose the presence of worms 
in the kidneys of hogs, except by chance through a micro- 
scopic examination of the urine. If worms are found in 
the kidneys of a hog that has died or has been slaughtered 
for food it may then be reasonably supposed that other 
hogs of the same herd not acting normal are infected 
with worms of the same species. 

Treatment. — Teaspoonful doses of Turpentine in 
milk three times a week is the only treatment I could 
recommend. Preventive measures is the only practical 
method of treating a disease of this nature. Give your 
hogs pure water and food. Disinfect pens occasionally 
and keep them clean. 



1 8 DISEASES OF SWINE 



LICE ON HOGS. 

Dip, spray or scrub your hogs with some good Coal 
Tar disinfectant, but whatever remedy is used it should 
be applied more than once which, of course, causes con- 
siderable work where there is a large number of hogs 
infested, unless dipped, which is more quickly done. 
The reason for repeated applications being necessary is 
that although the lice which hogs pick up from the 
ground, bedding and rubbing places, may be killed by 
first application, it often does not affect the nits, which 
remain intact and hatch within a week or ten days. A 
new crop of Lice appears on the hog from this source. 
Remove all manure and bedding from pens and sheds 
and burn it. Disinfect floors and spray sides of shed, 
pens and rubbing places with disinfectants, one part to 
seventy-two parts of water, once a month and you will 
be handsomely repaid for your labor. 

LUNG FEVER. 

(Inflammation of the Lungs) 

Cause. — Sudden changes, exposure to storms, piling 
up of hogs during cold nights, or sleeping in manure 
heaps, old straw stacks, etc. 

Symptoms. — Pig or hog is taken with shivering 
spells, is stupid, his back is arched, loss of appetite, tem- 
perature elevated two to four degrees above normal, 
short hurried breathing, generally accompanied with 
cough, which is deep and hoarse. As a rule the hog is 
constipated. 

Treatment. — Place in good, clean, warm, well ven- 
tilated quarters, free from drafts. Keep water before 
them at all times, adding Saltpeter, one teaspoonful to 
every gallon of water. 'If constipated, do not give 
physics; give injections of soap and warm water; also 



CAUSE,, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 19 

administer about one-half teaspoonful of Pine Tar on 
the tongue with a wooden paddle. This adheres to the 
tongue and gradually dissolves and gives excellent re- 
sults, as it is very soothing to the organs of breathing. 
During the convalescent stage, give hog regulator and 
tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. 

LUNG WORMS. 

Cause. — By threadlike worms varying in length 
from one-half to one and one-half inches and of brown- 
ish-white color. They are found in the windpipe and 
tubes leading into the lungs. The adult worms in the 
lungs produce large quantities of eggs, which are 
coughed up with mucus and become scattered over prem- 
ises where other hogs are permitted to walk. The hogs 
inhale the dust containing the eggs into their lungs, 
where the eggs find moisture sufficient for their develop- 
ment. 

Symptoms. — Severe coughing spells. Large quanti- 
ties of mucus will escape from the nose and mouth. 
The hog becomes stunted, although he may eat fairly 
well, but if not relieved, the worms collect in the Bronchi 
and produce sudden death due to suffocation. The 
worms may set up an inflammation of the lining mem- 
branes of the lungs, which is sometimes taken for Swine 
Plague, or Cholera. This disease is not uncommon, es- 
pecially in old, filthy, poorly drained hog houses and 
pastures. 

Treatment. — Confine the affected hogs to a shed; 
close the windows and doors and any large cracks, then 
compel the hogs to inhale steam from the following 
mixture : Turpentine, eight ounces ; Pine Tar, one pint ; 
Water, two gallons. Place in tin receptacle in center of 
the shed and heat the above solution by adding hot 
bricks or stones to the mixture occasionally. Compel 
them to inhale this steam for at least thirty minutes 
twice a day. Feed wholesome food to which add hog 



20 DISEASES OF SWINE 

tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. A 
strong, vigorous hog may have worms, but it retains its 
vitality so long as it is well fed. 

MANGE. 

Cause. — By the Sarcoptes Scabei. This parasite 
burrows under the outer surface of the skin. 

Symptoms. — The parasite usually manifests itself on 
the skin under the armpits, thighs and inside of the fore 
legs. At first small red blotches or pimples appear, and 
these gradually spread as the parasites multiply and 
burrow under the skin. 

Treatment. — There is no other way of curing this 
disease, or of preventing it, than by killing the parasites 
and their eggs ; not only on the pigs themselves, but also 
on the sides of the pens, sheds, rubbing-posts, or any- 
thing that an affected hog rubs against. 

When treating this disease, the real aim must be to 
kill the parasite by the prompt and continuous use of 
external remedies, such as washing or dipping, which 
is better done with some good disinfectant, one part to 
seventy parts water. Repeat this every ten days until 
cured. Two dippings are generally sufficient. It is well 
to feed cooling foods, such as clean slops and vegetables, 
containing regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page 
of this chapter. 

NAVEL RUPTURE. 

(Navel or Umbilical) 

Cause. — Injuries. Pigs crowding through narrow 
doorways or openings in fences, small pigs sleeping with 
large pigs, and allowed to pile up, or being thrown about 
feed troughs when feeding. Weakness and constipa- 
tion also predisposes them to Navel or Umbilical Rup- 
ture. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 21 

Symptoms. — A soft, puffy swelling about the navel 
or umbilicus, varying in size from a hazelnut to that of 
an ostrich egg. When a pig is placed on its back the 
intestines will gravitate into the abdominal cavity, pro- 
viding the intestines have not adhered to the walls of 
the rupture. 

Treatment. — This is more difficult than the Scrotal 
or Inguinal Rupture operation, as often times the intes- 
tines will adhere to the inner surface of the rupture and, 
unless the operation is carefully performed, there is 
great danger. Great care must be exercised in prepar- 
ing the pig by fasting it for twenty-four hours. After 
this is accomplished, prepare an antiseptic solution, 
Carbolic Acid, five per cent, or Bichloride of Mercury, 
one in one-thousandths ; also have a needle and absorbent 
silk or cat-gut ready. Place the pig on its back, with its 
head downward. Now, wash the seat of operation with 
either antiseptic solution. Then make an incision 
through the skin carefully; as stated before, intes- 
tines sometimes adhere to the inner surface of the rup- 
ture. If such is the case, wash the hands in the anti- 
septic solution and with the fingers carefully break the 
adhesions or separate the intestines from their adhe- 
sions. After this is accomplished, sew the inner lining 
of the abdominal cavity with absorbent silk or cat-gut. 
Then sew the outer skin with cotton or linen cord and 
your operation is complete. Feed the hog sparingly for 
a few days following the operation on easily digested, 
laxative foods. 

NETTLE RASH. 

<(Urticaim) 

Cause. — (Irritations of the skin produced by sprink- 
ling hogs with irritating solutions and powders, or from 
irritating dips when treating for lice, etc. Feeding 
highly nitrogenous food predisposes hogs to this disease ; 
also filth, poorly drained sheds and pens; is especially 



22 DISEASES OF SWINE 

common in young pigs. Nettle Rash is not contagious, 
but what produces it in one hog may produce it in several 
at the same time. 

Symptoms. — Red, swollen blotches appear on the 
skin very suddenly, especially about the ears and the in- 
side of the thighs, perhaps due to the skin being thin and 
deprived of hair. The hog rubs account of the 
intense itching, and he will not thrive when in this con- 
dition. In most cases there is a fluid oozing from the 
blotches, causing dirt and filth to adhere to the hair. 
However, if the disease is properly treated, a recovery 
is sure to follow in about two weeks. 

Treatment. — Prevention against this disease is most 
important, and it consists in keeping shoats and pigs 
in clean, well ventilated sheds and pens. Do not sprinkle 
them with irritating solutions or powders, or irritating 
dips, but when the disease once shows itself give each 
pig or hog affected a dose of Epsom Salts, one ounce 
to every twenty-five pounds of hog weight, in feed, swill 
or drinking water. If the weather is hot, keep them in 
a clean, cool place, also purify their blood by feeding 
regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this 
chapter. 

Apply some good Coal Tar disinfectant, one part to 
one hundred parts of water. This is non-irritating, and 
will destroy hog lice, and will heal the pustules of nettle 
rash. Apply twice ten days apart. It also must be 
borne in mind that pens and sleeping quarters must be 
disinfected; the old bedding and manure burned and 
replaced with good, clean straw or hay. Feed easily 
digested food, slops, etc. 

PARALYSIS OF THE HIND QUARTERS. 

Cause. — There are a great many things that may 
produce paralysis of the hind quarters. For instance, 
shipping hogs in crates ; fractions of thigh bones ; Rick- 
ets, due to feeding food that is deficient in mineral mat- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 23 

ter; hogs piling up; kicks or injuries to the back; fre- 
quently seen in sows nursing a litter of pigs and in a run- 
down condition. Constipation and indigestion also pro- 
duce paralysis of the hind quarters. Some think it is 
caused by worms in the kidneys; this is not always the 
case. It is true that the presence of a parasite around 
the kidneys may cause irritation of the nerves of the 
spinal column and result in paralysis. Yet, it is more 
often the result of weakness and loss of nervous power 
of the hind parts. 

Symptoms. — Regardless of the cause, the symptoms 
in either case, for they cannot be distinguished, are 
weakness of the back, wriggling of the hind parts, and 
finally the hogs sit down on their haunches. After some 
effort, they get up and run in a straight line quite fast, 
but swing to one side for a while and then go over to 
the other side, and finally get down so that they cannot 
rise, but drag themselves about. The appetite is good 
until a day or two before they die. 

Treatment. — Place the hog in clean, comfortable 
quarters, with plenty of fresh water to drink. Give sour 
milk, fruit or vegetables, containing regulator and tonic 
as prescribed on first page of this chapter. It contains 
nerve stimulants and blood purifiers. If the hog is con- 
stipated, add two to four ounces of Epsom Salts to its 
feed. 

Treatment of all such cases requires perseverance, 
recovery being slow and not always certain. 

PILES. 

(Prolapse of the Anus) 

Cause. — Although the pig may look well, he has a 
weakness of the circular fibres of the intestines, due to 
irritating foods that either constipate or produce diar- 
rhoea. 

Symptoms. — Very plain. A protrusion of the rectum 
all the way from two to four inches. The pig irritates 



24 DISEASES OF SWINE 

the protrusion by rubbing it against the sides of pens, 
etc. ; it cracks, bleeds and in warm weather will become 
fly-blown and maggots accumulate in large quantities. 

Treatment. — In the first stages of this disease, wash 
the protruded parts with an antiseptic solution of Car- 
bolic Acid, one teaspoonful to a pint of water. Give 
rectal injections of Soap and Warm Water or Sweet 
Oil, give about two ounces of Castor Oil internally and 
feed soft, sloppy food, tin chronic cases of long stand- 
ing, remove the exposed portion of the intestine after 
washing nicely with the antiseptic solution. Remove 
the protrusion with a sharp knife and stitch the cut end 
of intestine edges to the anus. Feed easily digested food, 
such as wheat bran, mixed with flaxseed meal on which 
boiling hot water has been poured, cooling before feed- 
ing. Also give regulator and tonic as prescribed on first 
page of this chapter. 

PIN WORMS. 

Cause. — Hogs consume the eggs that encapsule well 
matured embryonic worms with their food or drinking 
water. These worms multiply very rapidly in the small 
intestines and are from one-half to one inch in length. 

Symptoms. — No signs are noticed unless the worms 
are very abundant, as they are small and difficult to see 
with the naked eye. The principal point of attack is in 
the back part of the small intestines, where considerable 
inflammation is set up, especially when there are other 
worms, such as the Roundworm, present. 

Treatment. — Is of little value, as the worms in the 
intestines are very difficult to get at, but as their pres- 
ence causes very little disturbance, it is hardly worth 
while treating; however, preventive measures should be 
applied by disinfecting, burning manure and bedding. 

The following has proven a very effective treatment 
for Pinworms: Powdered Quassia, one pound; Sul- 
phur, two pounds; Glauber Salts, one pound; Powdered 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 25 

Tobacco, one-half pound; Sulphide of Antimony, one 
pound; Hyposulphite of Soda, two pounds; Beechwood 
Charcoal, one pound; Common Salt, two pounds. 

The above must be well powdered and thoroughly 
mixed. Give one heaping teaspoonful to every one hun- 
dred pounds of hog weight. To small pigs, give doses 
in proportion to weight. Place it in their feed or slop 
twice a day. In addition to being a vermifuge, it is an 
alterative and tonic that should be given pigs and hogs 
which do not thrive properly. Best results are obtained 
in treatment of Pinworm when the principal food con- 
sists of vegetables, mashes and slops. 

PLEURISY. 

Cause. — Exposure to cold, damp, chilly weather, es- 
pecially to drafts, or by a large number of hogs being 
allowed to pile up during cold nights, etc. 

Symptoms. — Chilling, temperature elevated two or 
three degrees above normal; breathing fast. The hog 
will show great pain when pressed over the lungs by 
flinching, squealing or grunting; couching suppressed, 
ribs rigid; breathing mostly with the muscles of the 
flanks ; appetite poor and eventually there will be fluids 
accumulate in the lung cavities. At this stage, the 
breathing is labored and difficult. If the ear is pressed 
over the lungs, the fluids can be heard, and in the first 
stage the sound will be similar to that of rubbing hair 
between the finger and thumb. 

Treatment. — Remove the cause. The treatment is 
satisfactory if applied in due time. Place in clean, com- 
fortable shed, seeing that it is well ventilated, omit 
drafts; apply equal parts of Aqua Ammonia Fort., Tur- 
pentine and Sweet Oil over the lungs and give two or 
four ounces of Castor Oil in milk. Feed easily digested 
food, such as hot wheat bran mashes, containing hog 
regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this 
chapter. It is also well to feed vegetables. 



26 DISEASES OF SWINE 



RHEUMATISM. 

Cause. — Exposure, as in cold, damp houses. Over- 
feeding also has a tendency to cause swellings of the 
joints and muscles. 

Symptoms. — Lameness of one or more limbs, swell- 
ing of the joints about the legs and feet. The hog does 
not care to move, refusing its feed in most cases : temper- 
ature slightly elevated; breathing quick and short; he 
will drink water frequently if offered. 

Treatment. — I am of opinion that Rheumatism in 
hogs would be a very rare disease if they were properly 
provided with clean, dry quarters, with a liberal quantity 
of bedding. Do not allow hogs to pile up, as it is very 
injurious to them. 

Medical Treatment. — Consists of feeding sloppy 
food to which add one-half dram of Sodium Salicylate 
two or three times a day in their feed. Vegetables and 
green grass are very beneficial in this disease, as they 
have a cooling effect on the blood. The hog tonic and 
regulator recommended on first page of this chapter is 
very beneficial when given with food of a sloppy nature. 

RICKETS. 

Cause. — Food deficient in mineral matter or lime; 
filth, lack of exercise, and crowded quarters, all tend to 
produce a softening of the bones and swelling of the 
joints. 

Symptoms. — The pigs affected generally appear in 
good condition and seem to be doing well, but suddenly 
they become paralyzed in the hind quarters, owing to the 
weakened condition of the bones, which sometimes frac- 
ture without receiving injury or any additional weight 
to that of the pig itself. The bones of the snout, back, 
limbs and feet bend and become deformed. The pigs 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 27 

grow weak, poor and stunted and perhaps the best treat- 
ment is to destroy them. 

Preventive Treatment. — Careful feeding of good, 
wholesome food. This disease is very seldom seen where 
hogs are frequently fed corn. 

Medical Treatment. — When the first signs of 
Rickets appear, feed regulator and tonic as prescribed 
on first page of this chapter. It contains the mineral 
matter needed by the hog. 

ROUND WORMS. 

Cause. — Is undoubtedly due to filth or hogs eating 
food or drinking water contaminated with well developed 
eggs or embryos of roundworms, thus taking them into 
their digestive canal, where they multiply rapidly and 
set up considerable irritation. This worm varies in 
length from three to thirteen inches, and is of a reddish- 
brown color. 

Symptoms. — The Roundworm is generally passed 
with the feces, and can be readily seen with the naked 
eye. A hog infested with a large number of these worms 
is generally restless, appetite varied. When these 
worms dvelop in large numbers, they obstruct the in- 
testines. In other cases they irritate and inflame the 
intestines, causing inflammation and diarrhoea, and 
death may be due to either obstruction or inflammation of 
the bowels. 

Treatment. — Treatment is very satisfactory. With- 
hold all food from eighteen to twenty-four hours. Then 
place in one pint of finely ground feed, Calomel and 
Santonin, each five grains to every one hundred pounds 
of hog weight. For instance, if the hog affected with 
round worms weighs two hundred pounds, double the 
dose by giving ten grains of each of the above, but if the 
hog only weighs fifty pounds, give one-half the dose men- 
tioned, or two and one-half grains of each. This treat- 



28 DISEASES OF SWINE 

ment should be repeated in a week or ten days to assure 
the expulsion of worms that might have survived the 
first dose. Feed sparingly on laxative food, as bran 
mashes and vegetables, for a few days following each 
treatment. 

RUPTURE. 

^(Scrotal or Inguinal) 

Definition. — In the male the intestines pass through 
the wide Inguinal Canal, through which the cord of the 
testicle passes. It is not difficult to recognize this form 
of rupture, as the scrotum that normally retains only 
the testicles is usually enlarged by the bowels enter- 
ing it. Sometimes the scrotum almost reaches the ground, 
and in this case, both sides of the scrotum, or the sack 
which contains the testicles, also contains intestines. If 
the pig is held up by the hind parts, the intestines will 
gravitate back into the abdominal cavity, but as soon as 
a pig lies down or stands they again return into the scro- 
tum. The testicles can be located at the bottom of the 
enlargement. 

Cause. — Hereditary tendencies predisposes them to 
rupture; pigs having large Inguinal Canals through 
which the testicle passes; by pigs being crowded, in- 
jured, squeezed at troughs, or passing through narrow 
doorways. Weakness and severe straining from consti- 
pation also produce rupture. 

Symptoms. — An enlargement of the sack containing 
the testicles. Sometimes there may be a strangulation 
of the intestines where they fold or twist. They become 
inflamed and produce death. The pig dies in great pain, 
but fortunately, strangulated ruptures in pigs are 
very rare, as the scrotum and canal which the intestines 
occupy relax and become very roomy. 

Treatment. — Operation is the only method of reliev- 
ing or curing Inguinal or Scrotal Rupture. My advice 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 29 

is to operate as soon as possible. When the pigs are 
small, there is less danger. The pig to he operated on 
should be fasted for at least twenty-four hours, as it is 
easier on both the operator and the pig when the intes- 
tines are empty, or nearly so. 

The operation which I have found to be very success- 
ful is as follows: Have an assistant hold the pig up 
by its hind legs. Prepare an antiseptic solution of Car- 
bolic Acid five per cent, or Bichloride of Mercury, one 
in one-thousandths, in a pan. Have a needle threaded 
with a medium sized absorbent silk or cat-gut suture. 
Prepare a clean, sharp knife ; wash the seat of operation 
with either antiseptic solution. Now, proceed to locate 
the testicle by having the hind parts elevated. The in- 
testines must be pressed back into the abdominal cavity. 
The testicle will remain in the sack or scrotum; now 
grasp the testicle between the fingers and make the in- 
cision through the scrotum and to the lower portion. It 
may be necessary to insert two fingers to withdraw the 
testicle. When the testicle is located, withdraw it. Be- 
fore cutting it off it is well to run a needle containing 
a thread through the last covering of the testicle so as 
to prevent the membrane from returning. After this 
is securely done, remove the testicle and sew the inner 
membranes that envelop the rupture and testicle with 
what is called a "tobacco pouch suture." Draw it to- 
gether firmly and tie and cut off suture about one-half 
inch from the knot. Your operation is now complete. 
Do not sew the outer incision in the scrotum, as it would 
have a tendency to accumulate dirt and hold pus. It 
should have a free drainage. Wash with one of the above 
mentioned antiseptics twice daily until thoroughly 
healed. Also feed laxative foods that are easily digested. 

SORE FEET. 

Cause. — Filth, especially common in large hogs 
when confined to hard floors or driven over rough, hard 
roads, or continually kept in filthy pens. The tissues of 



30 DISEASES OF SWINE 

the feet become softened, especially those between the 
claws. Irritation is set up by germs entering the abra- 
sions. 

Symptoms. — The hogs will be noticed going very 
lame and if closely examined the above named conditions 
will be found. 

Treatment. — Remove the hogs to clean, dry pens 
containing plenty of clean bedding, and wash the af- 
fected parts with some good disinfectant, as five per cent 
solution of Carbolic Acid. Repeat this treatment at 
least once a day. In case the feet are badly inflamed, I 
would advise the application of hot Flaxseed Meal poul- 
tices to the feet. Feed easily digested food, as it aids 
materially in the treatment of infectious wounds. 

SORE MOUTH. 

Cause. — Decomposed foods. Also slops or stagnant 
water, washing powders, broken glassware, etc., from the 
tables, fed in slops, barley or wheat beards, etc. 

Symptoms. — Difficulty in eating, or refusal to eat 
at all. Stringy secretions of saliva continually oozing 
from the mouth. The mouth gives off a very offensive 
odor. 

Treatment. — In this form of sore mouth, remove 
the cause. Feed soft, wholesome food, such as wheat 
bran mashes and vegetables. In cases where it is due to 
the lodging of beards of wheat or barley, gag the hog's 
mouth with a piece of wood and remove the beards with 
forceps. Keep clean, cool water before them at all times 
and avoid feeding dry, hard food. 

SOWS EATING THEIR YOUNG. 

Cause. — Insufficient lime or mineral matter fed prior 
to farrowing; constipation is also a fruitful cause. 



CAUSE,, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 31 

Prevention. — Careful feeding for a few days prior 
to farrowing of slops, free from soap or washing pow- 
ders; cool food, such as wheat bran mashes, with hog 
tonic and regulator as prescribed on the first page of this 
chapter. This is loosening to the bowels and also con- 
tains mineral matter and blood purifiers which are very 
valuable in the above mentioned condition. 

SUN OR HEAT STROKE. 

Cause. — Hogs that are very fat, and driven, hauled 
or shipped to market when the weather is warm, are fre- 
quently stricken with heat or sun-stroke. Sometimes 
when hogs are overcrowded and not protected from the 
rays of the sun, or from heat, they may become victims 
of heat or sunstroke. 

Symptoms. — First they stagger when walking, then 
they become very weak and temperature elevates three 
or four degrees higher than normal. Prostration or ex- 
treme depression, or sometimes involuntary spasms or 
contractions of muscles occur. 

Treatment. — Prevention. Do not drive, haul or 
ship during the hottest part of the day, hogs that are not 
accustomed to exercise or extreme heat. Do not crowd 
hogs in small pens or sheds during the hot months, as 
their bodies give off considerable heat in addition to 
that of the sun. See that they are protected from the 
sun. When hauling or shipping hogs, wet them occa- 
sionally with water. It prevents heat stroke. In case 
a hog is suffering from heat or sun-stroke, place it in a 
cool, shady place and apply ice or cold water to the head 
only. Also give Saltpeter in teaspoonful doses every 
six hours diluted in one ounce of water. Also give 
Alcohol, one teaspoonful, every three hours in one ounce 
of water. Good recovery is often obtained from the above 
treatment. 



32 DISEASES OF SWINE 



THORN-HEADED WORMS. 

Cause. — A white grub that is found in old manure 
heaps, straw stacks and hog lots carries eggs containing 
embryos of the Thorn-headed Worm. The white grub 
is eaten by the hog. The larvae of the Thorn-headed 
Worm is liberated by the process of digestion and be- 
comes a parasite in the intestines of the hogs, where it 
develops into a fully matured worm. Large numbers of 
hogs quickly become infested with this parasite, as they 
multiply very rapidly. These worms vary from two to 
twelve inches in length, and have a whitish color. 

Symptoms. — As a general rule, a worm can be seen 
in the feces. Other signs are that the hog loses flesh, 
appetite irregular, constipation, and then again there 
may be diarrhoea, especially where there are large num- 
bers of worms present. 

Treatment. — First of all, burn all manure or de- 
composed vegetation that the hogs are liable to come in 
contact with. Withhold all food from eighteen to twenty- 
four hours and give one teaspoonf ul of Oil of Turpentine 
to every one hundred pounds of hog weight, or if the 
hog weighs less than one hundred pounds, doses should 
be given in proportion. Follow this treatment for three 
or, four consecutive days. Turpentine is easily given to 
hogs, as they will drink it in milk when well mixed. Per- 
haps it is advisable, where a large number of hogs are 
affected, to divide them into pens of five or ten hogs, 
as they are thus less likely to get an overdose. Feed 
laxative food. Clean and disinfect troughs and feeding 
floors. Also give prescription on first page of this 
chapter. 

THUMPS. 

Cause. — Disorders of the digestive system from 
overloading the stomach and causing irritation of the 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 33 

nerves leading to the diaphragm, which is the membrane 
that separates the lungs and heart from the intestines, 
stomach, liver and spleen. It is a spasm of this mem- 
brane that causes a hog or pig to have "Thumps." In- 
sufficient exercise ; a large number of pigs may become 
affected at the same time when closely confined. 

Symptoms. — Jerking of the flanks; the pig or hog 
becomes very weak and stunted in a very short time. 

Treatment. — Remove the cause. In pigs, when 
first affected, careful feeding and exercise will generally 
effect a cure. In some cases, where the pigs are very 
small, it is well to take them away from the mother, per- 
mitting them to nurse very little. Giv them Castor Oil 
in teaspoonful doses, and compel them to exercise. It 
may be necesasry to give them Chloral Hydrate ten to 
fifteen grains two or three times a day diluted in a tea- 
spoonful of water. Where the pigs will not eat mashes 
or drink milk, give them medicine by force with a tea- 
spoon. 

After Treatment. — Give hog regulator and tonic 
as prescribed on first page of this chapter. 

WHIP WORM. 

This worm is very uncommon, but occasionally is 
found in the large intestines. 

Cause. — The eggs become imbedded in the manure, 
bedding, etc., and then mix with the food and drinking 
water and are taken into the digestive canal where they 
develop into matured worms. This worm is from one to 
three inches in length, the hind extremity of which is 
very thin, hence the name, "Whipworm." 

Symptoms. — They produce very little disturbance, 
even though present in large quantities, except when 



34 DISEASES OF SWINE 

other worms assist in their irritating the lining mem- 
branes of the large intestines. 

Medical Treatment. — Withhold all food from 
eighteen to twenty-four hours, then give one teaspoonful 
of Gasoline thoroughly mixed with milk, to every one 
hundred pounds of hog weight. Small hogs, reduce the 
dose in proportion to their weight. It is advisable to 
follow this dose for two or three consecutive days. Feed 
food that is easily digested, and see that they have fresh 
water to drink. 



□ 



m 



DISEASES OF 

Sheep and Goats 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND 
TREATMENT 




i 



\D 



& 



\0 



Ln 



sf 



f*) <\J 




Oh 

W 

w 

CO 

O 

CO 

< 

fo 
O 

o 

I— I 

H 
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O 

o 



Location of Parts of Sheep 



1. Mouth. 

2. Nostrils. 

3. Eyes. 

4. Forehead. 

5. Poll. 

6. Ears. 

7. Neck or scrag. 

8. Throat or throttle. 

9. Brisket or breast. 

10. Shoulder vein. 

11. Shoulder. 

12. Legs. 

13. Fore flank. 

14. Heart girth. 



15. Crops. 

16. Back. 

17. Loin. 

18. Rump. 

19. Coupling. 

20. Ribs. 

21. Belly. 

22. Sheath. 

23. Scrotum. 

24. Rear flanks. 

25. Leg of mutton. 

26. Twist. 

27. Tail or dock. 

28. Rump. 



PREFACE 

This chapter on the diseases of sheep and goats has 
been written for the benefit of the Student of Veterinary 
Science as well as for the Veterinary Profession. 

I feel it will suffice to say that I have endeavored 
to the best of my ability to render the matter contained 
in the following chapter of as great practical value as 
possible, to present in the most plain and concise man- 
ner each disease in the form in which it most frequently 
occurs. 

I wish to express a hope that this chapter will be 
appreciated by all into whose hands it may find its way, 
more particularly by Veterinary Students and Practi- 
tioners. 

Charles J. Korinek, V. S. 



CHAPTER II. 

ABORTION. 

Cause. — Is usually produced by injuries, or by the 
ewes being poisoned from eating poisonous foods, plants, 
etc. It has never occurred in infectious form in this 
country, although sometimes an outbreak is thought in- 
fectious on account of several ewes aborting about the 
same time, but all such outbreaks have been traced to 
some irritating poison which they had taken with their 
food or drinking water. 

Preventive Treatment. — Remove the aborted 
lambs or kids and afterbirth from the yards, and also 
withdraw the ewe or nanny and place her in comfortable 
quarters. She requires care and extra nursing, or she 
will become very poor and lose a large portion of her 
fleece. 

Medical Treatment. — If due to poisonous plants, 
etc., when the first symptoms of Abortion or poisoning 
are noticed, give six to ten ounces of Castor Oil. Warm 
the oil so it will run freely. Set the sheep or goat upon 
its haunches and pour very slowly. Great care must be 
exercised so as not to let any of the oil enter the lungs, 
as it may produce fatal pneumonia. Feed food that is 
easily digested and supply them with pure water to 
drink. When the general condition is weak or run 
down, so to speak, the following tonic is recommended : 
Pulv. Gentian Root, one ounce ; Pulv. Nux Vomica, one 
ounce; Pulv. Potassium Nitrate, one ounce; Hyposul- 
phite of Soda, three ounces ; Protan, three ounces. Mix 
and make into twenty-four powders. Give one powder 
two or three times daily well back on the tongue. 

Remember all tonics are bitter, therefore beware of 



38 DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS 

any so-called tonics that the animals eat readily, as these 
possess no real tonic values. 

BLACK SCOURS. 

( Verminous Gastritis — Strongylosis) 

Cause. — Due to a worm (Strongylus Contortus) 
measuring one-fourth to one inch in length, inhabiting 
the intestines and the fourth stomach of sheep and goats. 
This disease is frequently seen in low, marshy pastures, 
where animals infested with the worm pass the ova or 
egg with the feces, the eggs developing into an embry- 
otic worm which is again taken with the food or water by 
non-infected animals, whereby this disease again attacks 
the intestines and fully matured worms develop. 

Symptoms. — Naturally, the symptoms vary accord- 
ing to the violence of the attack. In well developed cases, 
the animal strains to defecate, and passes shreds of in- 
testinal mucous along with blood-stained feces. Finally 
a severe dysentery takes place, the animal becomes cor- 
respondingly weak, and death takes place in two or three 
days. Some cases become chronic, in which death does 
not take place for a month or more. However, the 
latter is uncommon. Other signs are staggering gait, 
trembling, eyes fixed, showing wild expression, neck 
turned to one side. Then the animal appears as if in 
pain, and looks around at the flank frequently. There is 
a chopping of the jaws, and a very free flow of stringy 
saliva from the mouth. When an animal dies from the 
symptoms just described, it should be cut open and 
carefully examined for this particular parasite, which 
can be easily seen with the naked eye. 

Treatment. — Very successfully treated when the 
first symptoms appear by administering one ounce of 
Gasolene with a pint of Milk. To lambs or kids give 
half the dose. Every precaution should be taken so as to 
prevent the drench from entering the lungs. Perhaps 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 39 

the best method is to set the animals on its haunches and 
pour the liquid slowly and carefully; if they cough, let 
them down. Any drench entering the lungs produces 
fatal pneumonia. Feed good nourishing food, and sup- 
ply them with fresh water to drink. 

CATARRH. 

(Cold in the Head) 

Cause. — Atmospheric changes, sudden exposure to 
cold, wet weather after being accustomed to warm, com- 
fortable surroundings, inhaling dust, smoke and gases 
or, in fact, anything that will produce an irritation to 
the membranes lining the nose; commonly seen in the 
spring and fall. 

Symptoms. — Chilling, elevation of temperature, 
nose dry, breathing hurried, sneezing, coughing, dull- 
ness, appetite varied. In the first stages of the malady, 
the nostrils are considerably inflamed, but in the course 
of a few days the temperature subsides and a yellowish- 
white discharge flows from the nose continuously. 

Treatment. — Keep the affected animals dry, omit 
drafts, feed good, wholesome food, and provide bedding 
for them to lie upon. Iln the first stages of this malady, 
it is advisable to confine the animals in a barn, closing 
the windows and doors and compelling them to inhale 
steam from boiling hot water and Pine Tar. The best 
method to accomplish this is by placing a tub about half 
full of water in the center of the barn and add about one 
gallon of Pine Tar. Then heat bricks or stones and 
place them into the tub. In this way a large number 
can be treated at one time. The sheep should be com- 
pelled to inhale this steam for thirty to forty minutes 
twice a day. In addition to the above, the following is 
very beneficial : Chlorate of Potash, one ounce ; Nitrate 
of Potassi, two ounces. Make into sixteen powders and 
give one powder to each sheep in its drinking water two 



40 



DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS 



or three times daily. Feed hot bran mashes and vege- 
tables if possible. 

DIARRHOEA. 

(Dysentery) 

Cause. — Diarrhoea, or Dysentery, is a sign of some 
irritation of the intestines resulting in increased secre- 
tions, or increased muscular contraction, or both. The 
irritation is sometimes the result of chilling from ex- 
posure, improper feeding, as contaminated or frozen 
foods, irritating foods, drinking cold or stagnant water, 
indigestion, organic diseases of the intestines, or para- 
sitic diseases. (See Strongylosis.) 

Symptoms. — Movements from the bowels are fre- 
quent, as first consisting of thin fecal matter, but as 
this malady progresses it becomes watery and offensive 
in smell, and streaked with blood. At first the animal 
shows no constitutional disturbances, but eventually it 
becomes weak and shows signs of abdominal pain by 
looking around to the flank, throwing the feet together, 
lying down, or moving restlessly. Sometimes this dis- 
ease is accompanied by fever, great depression, loss of 
strength, rapid loss of flesh ; terminating in death. 

Treatment. — Determine the cause and remove it if 
possible. When the disease is due to irritating proper- 
ties of food which have been fed the animal, it is well 
to give a physic of Castor Oil in two to six ounce doses, 
according to the size of the animal. When there is 
debility, want of appetite, and temperature normal, but 
continuous water discharge from the bowels, give Pro- 
tan, two ounces; Gum Cathechu, one ounce; Pulv. Gin- 
ger, one ounce; Zinc Sulphocarbolates, eight grains. 
Make into sixteen powders and give one powder on the 
tongue every three or four hours, according to the sever- 
ity of the attack. Feed food that is easily digested, as 
wheat bran mashes, steamed rolled oats, etc. See that 
the drinking water is fresh and clean. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 41 

FOOT ROT. 

(Foul in the Foot) 

Cause. — Foot Rot is produced by inflammation of 
the soft structures of the foot between the claws or toes. 
It may be due to an overgrowth and inward pressure, 
etc., or from filth accumulating and hardening between 
the claws, producing inflammation and softening or 
ulceration of the skin in the interdigital space (between 
the claws ) . Under some conditions several sheep or 
goats in the same drove become affected at the same time, 
leading many to think that the disease is contagious. 
When Foot Rot appears in a very short time, among 
sheep or goats, this condition can almost always be 
traced to filth, irritation, etc. 

Symptoms. — The animal is observed to limp when 
walking. On careful examination of the foot we find it 
hot, swollen above the claws and in the soft parts be- 
tween them, frequently spreading the claws apart to a 
considerable extent, or the inflammation may have ad- 
vanced to softening and sloughing of the soft structure 
between the claws. If this condition is neglected at this 
stage, deep abscesses form and the pus burrows under 
the horny wall, and the joints within the hoof become 
inflamed and destroyed, in which case the treatment is 
difficult and recovery will be very arduous. 

Treatment. — In the early stages of the disease, be- 
fore the pus burrows beneath the horny structures of 
the foot, any foreign substances impacted between the 
claws should be removed. Then place a trough about 
one foot wide, six to eight inches high, and twelve to 
sixteen feet long, and fill with water and Coal Tar Dip, 
diluted in proportions of one part dip to fifty parts of 
water. Build a fence on each side of the trough, just 
wide enough for one sheep to pass through, and compel 
every sheep to walk in the solution slowly. 



42 DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS 

This treatment should be repeated once or twice a 
week until the lameness has disappeared. In cases where 
deep sloughing has taken place under the horny struc- 
tures, saturate a piece of oakum or cotton in the follow- 
ing liniment : Oil of Origanum, Oil of Pisis, Oil of Tur- 
pentine, each four ounces. Place it between the claws 
and hold it there by means of a bandage. Repeat this 
application every other day. The animals that do not 
show signs of improvement under this treatment in a few 
days invariably have the joints of the foot affected and 
should not be driven. 

FORAGE POISONING. 

Cause. — This condition is produced by animals eat- 
ing various foliage (Grass or Shrubbery) at a time when 
the peculiar poisonous principles are developed in it, as 
appears to happen in certain seasons. The disease is 
liable to affect a large proportion of animals which are 
under the same grazing conditions. 

Symptoms. — Generally takes two or three days to 
develop. The animal gradually becomes more or less 
unconscious and paralyzed, staggers when forced to 
walk, and it may have great difficulty in keeping on its 
feet, it is extremely averse to going down, and leans for 
support against any convenient object. It breathes in a 
snorting manner. The mucous membranes are tinged 
with yellow, and the bowels constipated. In other cases 
severe diarrhoea follows, and the animal becomes very 
weak and dies in convulsions or spasms. Recovery may 
be expected in cases that are not marked by severe 
symptoms. 

Treatment. — Endeavor to find out the true cause 
and remove it if possible. Change range or pasture for 
a short time ; this has successfully eradicated this mal- 
ady. The animal showing the above symptoms should 
receive four to eight ounces of Castor Oil regardless of 
whether there is diarrhoea or constipation. In either case 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 43 

the irritation will be relieved by its laxative effect. In 
cases where diarrhoea becomes chronic, after administer- 
ing the Castor Oil, the following will be found very effi- 
cient in its control: Protan, three ounces; Ginger, one 
ounce; Gum Catechu, two ounces. Make into sixteen 
powders and place one powder well back on the tongue 
every four or six hours. Feed clean, wholesome food and 
supply clean, fresh water to drink. Provide shelter for 
the animal if the weather is hot. 

GARGET. 

(Congestion and Inflammation of the Udder) 

Cause. — As a rule, in Garget or Congestion of the 
Udder in heavy milking ewes, just before and after 
lambing, the glands of the udder enlarge, become hot, 
tense and tender and a slight pasty swelling extends 
forward from the glands on the lower surface of the ab- 
domen. This physiological condition is looked upon as 
a matter of course and disposed of in two or three days 
when the secretions of milk have been fully established. 
General breaking up of the udder may be greatly has- 
tened by the sucking of a hungry lamb and the kneading 
it gives the udder with its nose is beneficial. The above 
mentioned congestion or Garget may emerge into active 
inflammation resulting from continued exposure to cold 
weather, standing in cold drafts or injury to the udder 
from stone, clubs, feet of other animals, overfeeding or 
rich food, like cotton seed or soy bean, sore teats or a ewe 
losing her lamb in the period of full milking ; serious dis- 
turbances of the animal's health is liable to fall upon the 
udder. 

Symptoms. — The symptoms and mode of attack 
vary in different cases. Following exposure to cold 
drafts or cold, wet weather, there is usually severe chill- 
ing with cold ears and limbs and general dryness and 
brittleness of the wool. This is followed by a flush of 
heat, the ears and limbs become unnaturally warm and 



44 DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS 

the glands swell up and become firm and solid in one or 
both sides of the udder. The muzzle is hot and dry, tem- 
perature elevated two or three degrees above normal, 
pulse firm and quick, excited breathing, appetite and 
rumination suspended, bowels constipated, urine scanty 
and the yield of milk may be entirely suppressed in the 
affected side. 

Treatment. — Determine the cause and remove it if 
possible. Move the affected animals to comfortable 
quarters, supply liberal quantities of bedding for the 
animal to lie upon. Give two to six ounces of Glauber 
Salts dissolved in a pint of hot water. Permit it to cool. 
Place the ewe on her haunches and drench carefully. 
Feed laxative foods as hot bran mashes, steamed rolled 
oats and vegetables, supplying the animal with pure 
water to drink, to which add two drams of Hyposulphite 
of Soda, two or three times a day. In some cases it is 
advisable to apply Camphorated Ointment to the udder 
once or twice a day. 

GID. 

(Sturdy) 

Cause. — Gid is produced by a bladder worm, a larva 
or an egg of the tapeworm infesting the intestines of 
dogs, wolves and coyotes. The eggs of these tapeworms 
are scattered over the range or pastures in the droppings 
of infested dogs, wolves or coyotes, and these when 
swallowed in the food or water by the sheep, hatch out 
and the embryos migrate to the brain, spinal cord, etc., 
where they develop into cysts, bladder worms or water 
bags, etc. When the organs of sheep, thus infested, are 
eaten by dogs, wolves or coyotes, the cyst worms are 
also likely to be swallowed and then develop into ma- 
ture tapeworms. 

Symptoms. — In case a large number of embryos be- 
come lodged in the brain of sheep, the first signs will be 
shown in about eight to twelve days. Bladder worms 



CAUSE; SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 45 

produce a congestion of the brain which causes dullness, 
dizziness, indicating an affection of the brain, walking or 
turning in circles. If the left side of the brain is af- 
fected, they will turn to the left ; if the right side is af- 
fected, they will turn to the right. The head eventually 
droops, the eyes become red and the vision is impaired, 
the head very hot over the affected region, the affected 
sheep become separated from the flock. Sometimes the 
sheep are partially or completely paralyzed. 

Prevention. — Prevention is the only method by 
which this disease can be eradicated. Prevent the sheep 
from becoming infected with these parasites. Stray 
dogs, wolves or coyotes should be killed whenever found, 
and dogs too valuable to kill should be kept free from 
tapeworm. Meat should not be fed to dogs unless cooked 
or known to be free from tapeworm cysts. 

GRUBS IN THE HEAD. 

(Head Maggot) 

Cause. — Grubs in the head of sheep are produced by 
the Sheep Gadfly which is yellowish-gray in color with 
five well divided rings around its body, covered over with 
fine hair and the lower portion of the head white. This 
fly is somewhat larger than the ordinary house fly. It 
attacks sheep and goats during the Summer and Fall 
and deposits its larva about the sheep's and goat's nos- 
trils. This larva attaches itself to the mucous mem- 
brane of the nostrils with two hooklets by which it grad- 
ually works into the air cavities of the head, remaining 
there for about ten months. Then it again passes from 
the nostrils, burrows into the ground and becomes a 
fully matured Gadfly in six or eight weeks, which com- 
pletes its life cycle, the head of the sheep or goat being 
its intermediate host where the newly born Gadfly again 
attaches its larva. 

Symptoms. — When sheep or goats are attacked by 
this Gadfly, they run, strike at the nose with their front 



46 DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS 

feet, rub the nose on the ground or against other sheep. 
In case only three or four larvae gain entrance to the 
sinuses of the head, they produce very little, if any, ill 
effects, but where they become numerous, they cause the 
animal to cough and sneeze continually, discharge from 
the nose, which is occasionally tinged with blood. The 
appetite becomes impaired, the animal shows signs of 
emaciation, becomes very weak, raises the nose in the 
air, but eventually becomes so weak it reels when walk- 
ing and finally lies down. It becomes so weak it cannot 
toss the head or rise, and dies. 

Prevention Treatment. — Very successful. Paint 
the sheep's or goat's nose with Pine Tar, or better still, 
place salt in a trough, covering it with boards, with holes 
bored in them just large enough for the animal to insert 
its nose. Smear Pine Tar about the holes once or twice 
a week. This treatment has proven very efficient in lo- 
calities where sheep Gadflies are numerous. 

Medical Treatment. — After the animal once be- 
comes infected with these grubs, bore holes (trephine) 
through the skull with a sharp instrument made for this 
purpose and remove the grubs. 

HOVEN. 

(Bloating — Acute Tympanites — Acute Indigestion) 

Cause. — Hoven is caused by various kinds of food 
which produce indigestion or fermentation and resultant 
gases in the rumen or paunch. When sheep are first 
turned into young clover, they eat so greedily of it that 
bloating frequently results. Turnips, potatoes and cab- 
bage may also produce it. Middlings and corn meal also 
frequently give rise to it. In this connection it may be 
stated that an excessive quantity of any food, before 
mentioned, may bring on this disorder, or it may not be 
due to excessive eating but to eating too fast. Some- 
times the quality of food is at fault. Grass, clover or 
alfalfa, when wet with dew or rain soaked, frequently 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 47 

produce digestive disorders and bloating follows. Frozen 
roots or potatoes covered with white frost should be re- 
garded as dangerous. When food has been eaten too 
hastily or when it is cold and wet, the digestive process 
is imperfectly performed and the food contained in the 
paunch ferments, during which process large quantities 
of gas are formed. This same result may follow when a 
sheep is choking, as the obstruction in the gullet prevents 
the eructation or passing of gas from the stomach so that 
the gas continues to accumulate until severe bloating 
results. 

Symptoms. — The swelling of the left flank is very 
characteristic, as in well marked cases the flank at its 
upper part rises above the level of the backbone and when 
struck with the tips of the fingers emits a drum-like 
sound. The animal has an anxious expression, moves 
uneasily and is evidently distressed. If relief is not 
obtained in time the sheep breathes with difficulty, reels 
in walking or standing and in a short time falls down and 
dies from suffocation. The distention of the stomach 
or rumen may become so great that it pushes the dia- 
phragh (the membrane separating the lung and intes- 
tinal cavity) forward against the lungs, so as to squeeze 
and stop their movements, thus preventing the animal 
from breathing and in some instances the case may be 
complicated by a rupture of the stomach. 

Treatment. — Do not waste any time. Puncture 
about three inches downward and forward from the point 
of the hip bone with a clean sharp knife, or any instru- 
ment that is clean and sharp. A special instrument made 
for this purpose, the trocar, is a very useful instrument. 

Sometimes bloating becomes chronic, and if such is 
the case dissolve two teaspoonfuls of Turpentine in one- 
half pint of milk and drench the animal very carefully, 
as some of this drench may escape into the lungs and 
produce fatal pneumonia. Set a sheep upon its haunches 
to give the medicine ; if it coughs let it down quickly to 
prevent strangulation. 



48 DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS 

INDIGESTION. 

(Dyspepsia) 

Cause. — Irritant food, damaged food, overloaded 
paunch or sudden change of diet may produce this dis- 
ease. Want of exercise predisposes an animal to it and 
it is caused by woody or indigestible food. Food which 
possesses astringent (drying) properties tends to check 
the digestive secretions and may also act as an exciting 
cause. Food in excessive quantity may lead to disorders 
of the digestion and to this disease. It is very likely to 
appear towards the end of the protracted season of 
drought, therefore a deficiency of water must be regard- 
ed as one of the conditions which favors its development. 

Symptoms. — Appetite diminished; rumination, or 
chewing the cud, irregular ; tongue coated, mouth slimy, 
feces passed apparently not well digested and offensive 
in odor, dullness and fullness of the flanks. This disease 
may, in some cases, assume a chronic character, for in 
addition to the above mentioned symptoms, slight bloat- 
ing of the left flank may be observed. The animal 
breathes with great difficulty and grunts with each res- 
piration. The ears and legs alternately become hot and 
cold. The rumination, or cud chewing, at this stage 
ceases and the usual rumbling sound in the stomach is not 
audible. The passage of feces is entirely suspended and 
the animal passes only a little mucus occasionally. Some- 
times constipation and diarrhoea alternate; there is a 
rise in temperature in many cases. The disease con- 
tinues for a few days or a week in this mild form, while 
the severe form of the disease may last for several weeks. 
In the severe form the emaciation and loss of strength 
may be very great. There is no appetite, no rumination or 
rumbling sound in the stomach or intestines. The mouth 
is hot and sticky, the eyes have retracted in their sockets 
and the milk secretion has ceased. In such cases the 
outlook for recovery is unfavorable. The effected ani- 



CAUSE,, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 49 

mals fall away in flesh and become very weak, which is 
shown by the fact that one finds the animal lying down. 
On examination of sheep or goats which have died of 
this disease, it is found that the lining membranes of the 
fourth stomach and intestines, particularly the small 
intestines, are red, swollen, streaked with deep red or 
blushed lines or spotted. The lining of the third stomach 
is more or less softened and may be easily pealed off. 
The third stomach contains dry, hard food masses, closely 
adhering to its walls. In some cases the brain appears to 
become affected, probably from the pain endured and 
weakness and absorption of poisons generated in the 
digestive canal. In such cases there is weakness and a 
staggering gait ; the sheep or goats do not appear to see, 
and will consequently run against obstacles. After a 
time it falls down and gives up to a violent disordered 
struggle. This delirious condition is succeeded by stupor 
and death. 

Treatment. — Successful, if fed in its first stages on 
small quantities of roots, sweet silage or select grasses 
or hay. This should be offered several times daily. Very 
little food should be allowed if the animal is constipated, 
in which case give two to four ounces of Glauber Salts 
dissolved in a pint of hot water. When it cools, set the 
animal on its haunches and pour slowly and carefully. 
If they strangle or cough let them down, as some of the 
drench may escape into the lungs and produce lung com- 
plications. After the Glauber Salts have acted and if 
there is a lack of appetite and the animal does not chew 
the cud regularly, the following tonic will be found bene- 
ficial : Pulv. Gentian Root, one ounce ; Pulv. Nux Vom- 
ica, one ounce ; Pulv. Anise Seed, two ounces. Mix thor- 
oughly and make into thirty- two powders. Give one 
powder two or three times a day well back on the tongue. 
The food must be rather laxative and of a digestible 
character. After an attack of this form of indigestion, 
ice cold water should be avoided. Food should be given 
in moderate quantities, as any excess by overtaxing the 
digestive functions may bring on a relapse. 



50 DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS 

JAUNDICE. 

(Liver Congestion — Inflammation of the Liver) 

Cause. — Jaundice or Liver Congestion is due to con- 
stipation where there is an inactive or torpid condition 
of the bowels and the bile which passes into the intes- 
tines is absorbed and produces a yellow staining of 
Jaundice. Jaundice is merely a symptom of a disease 
and ought to direct attention to ascertain if possible the 
cause or causes which give rise to it. Inflammation of 
the liver usually occurs as a complication of infectious 
diseases. It may also occur as a complication of intes- 
tinal catarrh, or in hot weather from overheating, eating 
decomposed or irritating food or from drinking stagnant 
water. 

Symptoms. — The signs are sometimes obscure and 
their real significance is frequently overlooked. The most 
prominent symptoms are the yellowness of the white of 
the eyes and of the mucous membranes lining the mouth, 
appetite poor, body presents an emaciated appearance, 
the feces is light in color, while the urine is likely to be 
unusually dark and there is great thirst present. The 
gait is weak and the animal lies down more than usual 
and while doing so frequently has its head around resting 
on the side of its chest. Temperature is slightly elevated 
above normal and breathing is somewhat hurried. 

Treatment. — Remove the cause if possible. Give 
Glauber Salts in three to four ounce doses, diluted in a 
pint of hot water permitted to cool and give at one dose. 
When drenching, be very careful, as some of the liquid 
may escape into the lungs and produce severe complica- 
tions. Feed green food or hot bran mashes and supply 
them with a liberal quantity of pure water to drink. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 51 



LIVER FLUKE. 

Cause. — The parasite that produces Liver Fluke in 
sheep has an oblong, flat, leaf -like body, brownish in 
color, measuring from one-fourth to one-half inch in 
length. Sheep become infected with this Liver Fluke 
from grazing on low marshy pastures infected by the 
larvae of Liver Fluke. 

Symptoms. — A sheep, when first infected with Liver 
Fluke, generally thrives as the parasites tend to stimulate 
the process of digestion, being located as they are in 
the liver, but eventually rumination becomes irregular, 
the sheep becomes anemic, weak and the visible mucous 
membranes of the mouth, nose and eyes become pale, 
bloodless, taking on a yellowish color as the disease pro- 
gresses. Swellings will also appear under the jaw along 
the neck and under the lung cavity. The process of 
breathing becomes feeble and temperature irregular. 
Pregnant ewes will generally abort and nursing ewes' 
milk will become so deprived of its nourishing properties 
that the lambs become emaciated, although not necessar- 
ily affected with the Liver Fluke. 

Prevention. — Move to non-infected pastures, sup- 
ply the animals grazing on low marshy pastures with a 
liberal amount of salt, also introduce frogs, toads, carp, 
etc., into the marshy ponds, as they destroy the parasite 
in its first stages of development, feeding on their inter- 
mediate host, the snail. 

Medical Treatment. — This is of little value. After 
an animal once becomes infected with the parasite, it 
never makes a complete recovery, although Calomel ad- 
ministered in ten grain doses every two or three weeks 
appears to have a very good effect in some cases, if fed 
freely on nitrogenous food and permitted to drink well 
of pure running water. 



52 DISEASES OE SHEEP AND GOATS 

LUNG FEVER. 

(Pmeumonia — Congestion of the Lungs — Pulmonary 

Apoplexy) 

Acute congestion and inflammation of the spongy tis- 
tues of the lungs is frequently seen in sheep, the same as 
in other animals. 

Cause. — Sheep that are overdriven are subject to 
Lung Congestion in acute or chronic form and sometimes 
Pulmonary Apoplexy, and especially when in a plethoric 
condition are predisposed to inflammation of the lungs. 
The exciting cause is very much the same as in different 
diseases of the air passage and it is not uncommon for 
the inflammation to extend from these parts of the lungs. 
However, there are a number of causes in addition to 
those already mentioned. It frequently results when 
sheep are accustomed to warm, comfortable quarters and 
are changed to cold, drafty pens, or shipping some dis- 
tance in open stock cars during cold weather. 'In fact, 
any sudden chilling of the body is a common cause of 
lung disorders. Giving fat sheep too much exercise when 
they are not accustomed to it is a very frequent cause of 
Congestion and Inflammation of the Lungs. This may 
occur when they are chased by dogs, etc., or when driven 
to a distant market at too rapid a gait. Exercise during 
the hot summer months is apt to cause congestion of the 
lung substance, as well as heat stroke. Dipping sheep 
during cold weather may chill the body and result in 
this disease. 

Symptoms. — If due to severe exercise, the animal ap- 
pears greatly exhausted and the Congestion of the Lungs 
is marked. Death may occur at this stage of the disease. 
Inflammation of the Lungs usually begins with a chill 
and is followed by a high fever. The sheep stand most 
of the time and may eat nothing, or very little. The 
breathing is hurried at first, but when the lungs become 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 53 

badly involved, it is also labored. The character of the 
pulse beat varies, depending on the extent of the in- 
flammation and the stage of the disease. In most cases 
the pulse is full and quick during the early stages of the 
disease. A very weak pulse is present in severe and 
fatal cases of Pneumonia. The visible mucous mem- 
branes have a red colored appearance and there may be a 
slight discharge from the nostrils. The expression of 
the face is anxious and distressed in severe cases and 
rigors and chilling of the body occur. The respiratory 
sounds are more or less normal. The cough at first is 
deep and dry ; later it becomes loose and moist. It may 
be accompanied by a hemorrhage during this stage of the 
disease. Other respiratory sounds are revealed by plac- 
ing the ear to the side of the chest walls and listening to 
the sound of the lungs. This cannot be practiced in long 
wooled sheep with satisfaction, as the chest walls are so 
thick that the lung sounds are deadened, or the noise 
made by the animal hides the respiratory murmurs in 
the very early stages of Inflammation of the Lungs. A 
crepitating or crackling sound can be heard in the dis- 
eased parts and louder sounds than normal in the healthy 
areas. Later when the engorgement of the lung sub- 
stance occurs and the air cells become filled with an in- 
flammatory serum, the respiratory sounds are deadened, 
but on returning to the normal, a rattling sound occurs. 
These symptoms help greatly in determining the ani- 
mal's condition and in watching the progress of the dis- 
ease. The chances for the recovery depend on the extent 
and the acuteness of the inflammation. Careless han- 
dling, exercising, etc., lessen the chances for a favorable 
termination in the disease, but good care helps more to 
bring about recovery than the medical treatment. The 
recovery is more unfavorable in fat than in lean sheep, as 
the inflammation is usually more severe in the former. 
The course is from seven to twenty-one days and it may 
become chronic if the irritation is kept up. In such cases, 
unthrif tiness is a prominent sign. 



54 DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS 

Treatment. — The preventive treatment in Pneu- 
monia must not be overlooked. Briefly, it consists in 
avoiding such conditions as may predispose the animal to 
the disease or act in any way as an exciting cause. Care- 
ful nursing is a very important part of the treatment. 
The sheep should be given a comfortable, well ventilated 
shed and kept as quiet as possible. !lf the bowels become 
constipated, give two or three ounces of Castor Oil and 
feed sloppy food. As one attack predisposes the sheep 
to a second, it should be protected from severe cold, or 
the other extreme, heat, for a month after making a 
complete recovery. 

The following prescription will be found very bene- 
ficial: Iodide of Ammonia, one-half ounce; Chlorate of 
Potassi, one ounce ; Pulv. Nux Vomica, one ounce. Make 
into twenty-four powders and give one powder every 
four hours well back on the tongue. Continue this treat- 
ment until the animal has recovered. 

LUNG WORMS, LAMB DISEASE. 

( Verminous Bronchitis) 

Cause. — Due to a white thread-like worm ' ( Strongy- 
ylus Filaria) varying in length from one to three inches. 
The worms affect and live in the trachea (windpipe) 
and bronchial tubes. Infected animals, in coughing, ex- 
pel fertilized eggs which develop on the grass and stag- 
nant water. The larvae are again taken up either in the 
drinking water or in eating grass or hay gathered on 
low marshy soil. Warm wet weather favors their devel- 
opment. 

Symptoms. — This worm is liable to attack a number 
of animals at the same time. The weakest sheep and 
young lambs are the first to show signs by coughing 
forcibly, distressing, hacking and convulsive in character. 
A stringy mucus is sometimes expelled during the spasm 
of coughing. This mucus contains worms which can be 
detected, or their ova observed under a magnifying glass. 



CAUSE,, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 55 

In the latter stages of the disease, they cough severely 
at night. These attacks have a sub-acute character and 
prove very exhausting. The parasite by becoming en- 
twined in balls severely affects the animal's breathing 
which is always remarkably labored in the latter stages 
of the disease. The animal refuses to eat, becomes ema- 
ciated, anemic, mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth 
and nose become very pale and the sheep die in convul- 
sions from suffocation. 

Preventive Treatment. — Avoid grazing your 
sheep on low marshy soil, especially during warm wet 
weather. Young lambs and weak ones are especially sus- 
ceptible to this disease. 

Medical Treatment. — The writer has tried various 
treatments as fumigation with different substances and 
injection of remedies into the windpipe by the use of a 
hypodermic syringe, etc., but none have proven very suc- 
cessful, from a practical standpoint. I would recom- 
mend placing the affected animals in a tightly closed barn 
or shed, in the center of which place a pan of red hotcoals 
and cover with Sulphur. 

A person should remain in the barn or shed as long as 
he possibly can and after the fumes become so irritating 
that he cannot endure them any longer, he should im- 
mediately make his exit. The sheep should be compelled 
to stay a minute or two longer and then quickly open 
the doors and windows. Repeat this treatment once or 
twice a week. Feed affected animals well. Give them 
fresh water to drink and protect them from exposure. 
This treatment, as above described, has given very good 
results, providing the parasites were not too numerous. 

SCAB. 

(Mange) 

Cause. — The mange mite i(Psoroptes Communis). 
This parasite is equipped with stylets which pierce the 



56 DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS 

skin at the seat where the mange mite penetrates the skin, 
and produces small red spots followed by a blister filled 
with serum, which ruptures, the serum drying and form- 
ing a small scab. It is in this way that innumerable 
mange mites cause the piling up of scabs thus producing 
a very scaly condition. As Mange advances, the scaly 
patches eventually pile up until they attain the thickness 
of one-half inch, unless these scabs have been severely 
rubbed. 

Symptoms. — Very easily detected, as a bunch of 
sheep that have been recently infected will be uneasy or 
restless, rubbing against fences, posts, brush, etc., caus- 
ing bunches of wool to loosen. The itching seems to be 
more intense at night and during warm weather. The 
affected animals will even make attempts to bite them- 
selves, due to the agony produced by the mange mite. 
If the skin is examined by the aid of a magnifying glass, 
the mange mite can be easily noticed, or by scraping the 
skin with a knife and placing the scabs on a dark paper 
and exposed to the warmth of the sun, the mange mite 
moving about can readily be seen with the naked eye. 
Mangy sheep become very poor and eventually die. 

Prevention. — This is important, for although the 
disease is treated with very good results, the mange mite 
annoy the sheep until they become very weak and ema- 
ciated and the loss of wool is enormous due to the affected 
animal continually rubbing against fences, brush, etc. 

Treatment. — Consists of using various dips, as 
Lime and Sulphur, which is recommended by the United 
States Bureau of Animal Industry. This is very effec- 
tive and inexpensive. Scabby sheep should be dipped a 
week or ten days after shearing ; two dippings are neces- 
sary at the interval of ten days. After dipping, move to 
non-infected range or pastures. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 57 

TICK. 

(Louse Fly) 

Cause. — The tick that infects sheep has a very small 
head sunken into its round body. The head possesses a 
flexible trunk or snout that penetrates the skin. Through 
this trunk, the ticks derive their nourishment by sucking 
the blood from the body of the sheep. The tick is also 
provided with three pairs of legs. The female lays her 
young in the form of a spun egg (cocoon) which is ob- 
long in shape and brown in color. This egg is cemented 
to the wool of sheep where young ticks are hatched in 
about four to six weeks. 

Symptoms. — Long wooled sheep are more suscept- 
ible to this tick as their wool provides shelter for both the 
tick and its eggs. After shearing the sheep the ticks have 
a tendency to leave the body and to migrate to the legs 
or to unshorn lambs where their snouts or trunks pierce 
the skin which appears to become infected, producing a 
swelling and inflammation. The infected sheep run, 
scratch and bite themselves. When these ticks become 
developed in large quantities, they produce a paleness 
of the mucous membranes of the eyes, mouth and nose, 
as the ticks suck large quantities of blood, which pro- 
duces an anemic condition. The sheep become poor, 
weak and unthrifty. 

Treatment. — Satisfactorily treated by dipping in- 
fected sheep in Coal Tar dips or Emulsions of Crude 
Petroleum. Shearing the sheep has a good effect, but 
care must be exercised as the ticks then rapidly migrate 
to the lambs. 



m 



DISEASES OF 

POULTRY 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND 
TREATMENT 




LOCATION OF PARTS OF THE FOWL. 



Location of Parts or the Fowl 



0. Beak. 

1. Comb. 

2. Face. 

3. Wattles. 

4. Ear lobe. 

5. Hackle. 

6. Breast. 

7. Back. 

8. Saddle. 

9. Saddle feathers. 

10. Sickles. 

11. Lesser sickles. 

12. Tail coverts. 



13. Main tail feathers. 

14. Wing bow. 

15. Wing coverts, forming wing 

bar. 

16. Secondaries, wing bar. 

17. Primaries or flight feathers. 

18. Flight coverts. 

19. Point of breast bone. 

20. Fluff. 

21. Thigh. 

22. Knee joint. 

23. Shank. 

24. Spur. 

25. Toes, or claws. 



PREFACE 

This chapter, as its title indicates, is to give to the 
Students and Veterinary Profession a general view of 
the diseases of poultry, their causes, symptoms and 
treatment in a condensed and yet in a complete form. 

Thousands of dollars worth of poultry are lost each 
year because of the veterinarians not having for im- 
mediate reference a book giving full information re- 
garding the causes, symptoms, and treatment of diseases, 
with reliable and authentic advice on what to do for 
poultry that are sick or unthrifty. 

If this brief chapter proves itself of value to our 
students to which it is most fraternally dedicated, the 
writer will feel himself amply repaid. 

Charles J. Korinek, V. S. 



CHAPTER III. 

AIR SAC MITE. 

Cause. — Produced by a parasite called Cylodites 
Nudus, which bears a close resemblace to the parasite 
causing mange or scabies in the domesticated animal. 
Owing to the peculiar construction of their breathing 
organs fowls are more susceptible to parasites thanj 
animals. In addition to effecting the lungs, the Air Sac 
Mite may extend its operations to the intestines, kidneys, 
liver and bones. 

Symptoms. — Unthriftiness is first noticed, but after 
the parasites become numerous, the fowl shows signs of 
difficult breathing, perhaps terminating in bronchial 
pneumonia. In some cases death occurs without appar- 
ent cause. The bird will be inactive, becomes separated 
from the rest of the flock, comb pale, head drawn close 
to the body, wings hang pendulous, lose flesh, breathing 
becomes hard, coughing, sneezing and a rattling from 
the mucus in the windpipe is heard. Death is produced 
from suffocation. 

Treatment. — Separate the sick from the healthy 
fowls. Disinfect coops and runways of both sick and 
healthy birds with Crude Carbolic Acid, undiluted. Also 
fumigate the fowls in their coops with steam from hot 
water and Pine Tar. This may be done by placing the 
water and Tar in a pan and then inserting a hot stone 
or brick in the solution. This perhaps is the simplest 
method of fumigation. Also mix Sulphur in their feed 
regularly. 



62 DISEASES OF POULTRY 

APOPLEXY. 

{Hemorrhage of the Brain) 

Due to the rupture of a blood vessel of the brain and 
pressure from the escaping blood. 

Cause. — Mechanical injuries, straining when laying 
eggs (hens are frequently found dead on the nest from 
this cause) , overfeeding, stimulating food, etc., all tend 
to produce apoplexy. 

Symptoms. — Appear very suddenly, bird is seen to 
walk unsteadily, falls, or perhaps is found dead. 

Treatment. — In mild attacks, apply cold water or 
ice to fowl's head until thoroughly cooled. Give one- 
half grain of Calomel, feed soft food, compel the bird to 
exercise. Owing to the loss of blood a tonic will be neces- 
sary. Pulv. Gentian Root, Pulv. Saltpeter, Capsicum 
and Ferri Sulphate Pulv.) equal parts one ounce. Mix 
and place one teaspoonful in feed for every twenty-five 
fowls. This tonic purifies and builds up the blood, just 
what is needed in this particular condition. 

BALDNESS. 

(Favus) 

Cause. — Due to fungi. 

Symptoms. — The first noticeable sign is the whitish 
appearance of the comb due to gray spots about the size 
of a pin head. As the disease progresses, this condition 
spreads to other parts of the body; the feathers look 
rough and dry and break easily. The fowl grows weak- 
er, refuses to eat and if not properly treated, dies. 

Treatment. — Remove the scabs by separating the 
feathers and using a brush. Apply Sulphur Ointment. 
Repeat this treatment after two or three days. Great 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 63 

care must be taken to prevent the fowl from chilling or 
taking cold. 

BEAK AND THROAT OBSTRUCTION. 

Cause. — Lodgment in the beak or food canal of a 
foreign substance, such as a kernel of corn, sunflower 
seed, bone, etc. 

Symptoms. — Fowl jerks its head suddenly and fre- 
quently attempts to swallow. If a close examination is 
made the foreign body can be felt from the outside. 

Treatment. — For the removal of such obstructions, 
no special treatment is needed further than to use care 
and avoid any injury to the beak or throat. Feed nutri- 
tious food, as wheat bran mashes and vegetables and see 
that they have a liberal quantity of good pure water at 
all times. 

BLACKHEAD. 

(Infectious Enter o Hepatis of Turkeys) 

Cause. — Due to a protozoa taken into the system 
with the food or drinking water. This parasite enters the 
caeca which becomes inflamed and discolored and the 
liver is enlarged and studded with yellowish spots about 
the size of a pea. 

Symptoms. — Although this disease is termed Black- 
head, the discoloration of the head is not necessarily 
present in all cases ; neither is this condition confined to 
this particular disease. One of the first symptoms is 
loss of appetite, followed in most cases by diarrhoea. 
The fowl becomes weak and loses weight rapidly. Ex- 
amination of the liver after death will determine whether 
or not death has been caused by Infectious Entero Hepa- 
titis. The dead birds should be burned to prevent the 
spread of the disease. 

Treatment. — Prevention is one of the most import- 



64 DISEASES OF POULTRY 

ant factors as this disease is very contagious and the pro- 
tozoa once implanted in the turkey runs is almost im- 
possible to eradicate. Provide clean, well ventilated 
coops and feed clean, wholesome food and good fresh 
water to drink. 

Medical Treatment. — Give Bismuth Salicylate 
and Quinine Sulphate each one grain two to three times 
a day. Also mix Hyposulphite of Soda in the propor- 
tion of two to four grains to every fowl in their drinking 
water twice daily. Disinfect coops and runs with Crude 
Carbolic Acid, undiluted. 

BODY LICE. 

Cause. — Insanitary conditions. Communicated by 
direct contact. 

Symptoms. — Young chicks become emaciated and 
die quickly. Older birds withstand the parasite much 
longer, but in time show signs of uneasiness by dusting 
themselves frequently. The comb and wattles become 
pale and bloodless, the feathers rough, dry and brittle. 
The birds grow weak, poor and eventually die. 

Treatment. — Dust the birds with the following: 
Sulphur, one part ; Napthaline, one part ; Tobacco Dust, 
twenty-eight parts and seventy parts of middlings. Pow- 
der finely and mix well together and dust the birds once 
daily. Also sprinkle freely in the dust baths. 

BRONCHITIS. 

Cause. — Exposure to dampness, cold drafts of air, 
inhaling irritating gases, vapors or dust. The fowls 
should be carefully examined, as bronchitis is occasional- 
ly caused by the presence of gapeworms. 

Symptoms. — Loss of appetite, the bird moves about 
slowly, breathing with difficulty and making a sort of 
whistling sound accompanied by a cough. As the disease 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 65 

progresses, there will be a peculiar bubbling sound from 
breathing due to an excessive accumulation of mucus 
in the windpipe. At this stage of the disease the bird 
becomes very weak and if not properly treated and cared 
for will rapidly lose strength, the feathers will become 
rough, head and wings droop, and the bird dies. 

Treatment. — This disease is most satisfactorily 
treated by placing the affected birds in warm, dry, well 
ventilated quarters, admitting sunlight if possible, but 
excluding all drafts of air. Feed stale bread, middlings, 
etc. Also place the fowls in a moderately air tight coop 
and compel them to inhale steam from hot water and 
Turpentine. This is readily done by placing the water 
and Turpentine in a pan and then insert a hot stone or 
brick in the solution. Force them to inhale this steam 
from twenty to thirty minutes twice a day. Also add 
Chlorate of Potash to their drinking water, one teaspoon- 
ful to every twenty-five aged fowls. To chicks add one- 
fourth teaspoonful to every twenty-five. If the weather 
is favorable and the above treatment is followed, bron- 
chitis yields very favorably. 

BUMBLE FOOT. 

( Corns — Deep Bruises — A bscesses ) 

Cause. — ^Sharp-edged or narrow perches which 
bruise the feet or where the perches are high, heavy fowls 
often injure their feet by alighting on stones or other 
hard objects. 

Symptoms. — The bird limps or hobbles about, mov- 
ing with great difficulty. Examination will show the 
foot to be hot and tender to the touch. 

Treatment. — Wash with clean, warm water and in 
some cases it is advisable to apply Hot Flaxseed poul- 
tices. When soft spots or abscesses develop, lance them 
with a clean, sharp knife. After abscesses and bruises 
are opened, treat them antiseptically by washing with a 



66 DISEASES OF POULTRY 

solution of Carbolic Acid, one teaspoonful to a pint of 
water. The foot should be bandaged to keep out dust 
and dirt. 

CATARRH. 

Cause. — Exposure; poorly constructed coops which 
admit rain or drafts. Weak birds are very susceptible 
to Catarrh. 

Symptoms. — The bird is dull, moves about slowly, 
coughing or sneezing ; appetite is poor, the mucous mem- 
brane of the air passage becomes inflamed and the breath- 
ing difficult, especially through the nose. The discharge 
from the nostrils at first watery, becomes mucus-like and 
thick and sticky, closing the nose, causing the bird to 
breathe wholly through the mouth with a wheezing 
sound. 

Treatent. — The cause of Catarrh shows the neces- 
sity of clean and comfortable quarters for the fowls. 
Keep the birds strong and vigorous by feeding clean, 
nourishing food. 

Medical Treatment. — To each fowl administer in 
their drinking water or feed : Chlorate of Potash, one 
grain, twice daily. 

CHICKEN POX. 

{Sore Head — Warts) 

Cause. — These diseases are due to low forms of para- 
sites or fungi and occur most frequently in wet weather 
especially if the coops are leaky and allow the rain to 
fall on the droppings, causing mold or fungi. Poor ven- 
tilation and lack of light also promotes the growth of 
fungi. 

Symptoms. — The disease is usually confined to the 
head and affects principally young chickens, pigeons and 
turkeys, but rarely ducks and geese. The infection ap- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 67 

pears in form of yellowish warts or nodules about the 
nose, eyelids, comb, wattles, under the wings, or any un- 
feathered place. The warts vary in size from that of a 
pin head to the size of a pea and they discharge a fluid 
which at first is thin and watery but as the disease pro- 
gresses, it becomes thick and sticky, yellow in color and 
fetid in smell. At this stage the appetite is poor, the 
feathers appear rough, and where the eyelids are affected, 
as in most cases, the bird cannot see, fails to eat, becomes 
emaciated, loses weight and strength rapidly and if not 
properly treated, dies. 

Treatment. — This disease is very contagious, there- 
fore the coops and runs should be disinfected with Crude 
Carbolic Acid, undiluted. In the drinking water add 
Hyposulphite of Soda in the proportion of one to two 
grains to each fowl (one-half grain to chicks). Wash 
the nodules or warts about the head with Carbolic Acid 
solution, one teaspoonful to a quart of water. Feed 
easily digested food, such as vegetables or warm bran 
mashes. 

CONGESTION OF THE LIVER. 

Cause. — Lack of exercise, overfeeding, tainted or 
moldy food, infection, or impure blood. 

Symptoms. — Birds suffering from this disease sel- 
dom show signs of sickness and it is well to dissect the 
fowl after death to ascertain the exact cause. If death 
is caused by Congestion of the Liver, the organ will be 
greatly enlarged and easily torn. 

Treatment. — If the fowls are fat and sluggish, com- 
pel them to exercise by driving them about. Also give 
fifteen to twenty grains of Epsom Salts to each affected 
fowl. Feed laxative foods that are easily digested, as 
vegetables and warm bran mashes. They are cooling 
and relieve congestion. 



68 DISEASES OF POULTRY 

CONGESTION OF THE LUNGS. 

{Pulmonary Congestion) 

Cause. — Exposure ; the bird chills, causing contrac- 
tion of the blood vessels near the surface of the body, 
thereby forcing a large quantity of blood to the internal 
organs ; the small blood vessels in the lungs become dis- 
tended with blood and rupture. 

Symptoms. — Rapid and difficult breathing; the bird 
appears stupid and sleepy and does not care to move 
about ; appetite poor, wings drooping, plumage ruffled, a 
thick mucus, colored with blood, escapes from the mouth, 
comb and wattles show a dark-red color from lack of oxy- 
gen in the blood. This disease is of very short duration, 
the bird dying within a few hours. It is very common 
among young chicks and turkeys that are permitted to 
run out in the early spring rains. 

Treatment — Medical treatment is of no value, as 
the disease progresses so rapidly that the bird dies shortly 
after the first symptoms appear. Sanitary surround- 
ings, good light, pure air and exercise are essential. Do 
not allow the birds to stand out in the cold or rains, espe- 
cially during the molting season. Keep your poultry 
strong and vigorous by feeding clean, nourishing food 
and give them pure water to drink. 

CONSTIPATION. 

{Intestinal Obstruction) 

Cause. — Irritation of the membranes lining the intes- 
tines, caused by dry feed, glass or gravel; may also be 
due to parasitic worms. Obstruction may occur in any 
part of the intestines although the external opening is 
the part most frequently affected. 

Symptoms. — Bird appears dull and stupid, walks 
with difficulty and attempts frequently to expel the ob- 



CAUSE., SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 69 

structing material. The appetite is poor and the feathers 
rough. By examination and manipulation the obstruc- 
tion may be located. Dried masses of excrement by ad- 
hering to the feathers sometimes block the outer opening 
of the intestines. 

Treatment. — Remove the waste matter clinging to 
the feathers with warm water or by clipping the feathers 
off. If the Cloaca is obstructed, give injections of Sweet 
Oil or Olive Oil with a small bulb syringe. Also give one 
to two grains of Calomel and feed clean food and soft 
mashes containing Pulv. Gentian Root, one grain to each 
fowl twice daily. This stimulates the worm-like move- 
ment of the bowels and assists in expelling their con- 
tents. 

CROP IMPACTION. 

(Obstruction, Paralysis, Inflammation, Catarrh) 

Cause. — Errors in feeding; birds that are not fed 
regularly are predisposed to any of the above conditions ; 
may also be due to swallowing large pieces of bone, 
thread, nails, pins, glass, gravel, etc. 

Symptoms. — Loss of appetite, frequent attempts to 
swallow, crop greatly distended and hard on pressure; 
eventually the food decomposes and a liquid may escape 
from the mouth and nose. The bird appears dull, stupid 
and sleepy, comb pale, feathers rough, beak open, owing 
to pressure on the windpipe. If caused by swallowing 
sharp objects, they may penetrate the crop and skin, 
causing a gangrenous condition. Grain in the crop will 
sometimes send out sprouts of considerable lengths. 

Treatment. — If no sharp objects are present, give 
two teaspoonfuls of Sweet or Olive Oil. This will lubri- 
cate the esophagus and crop. Manipulate the crop up- 
ward, forcing the food gently through the mouth, adding 
oil occasionally. If, however, sharp objects penetrate 
the crop it is best to remove them through an artificial 



70 



DISEASES OF POULTRY 



opening. Clip the feathers from around the intended 
seat of operation and wash the clipped surface with a 
Carbolic Solution, one teaspoonful to a pint of water. 
The incision should not be over one-half inch long and 
should be made as high as possible and in the center of 
the crop. After removing the contents, sew up with 
ordinary thread and needle and wash occasionally with 
the above antiseptic solution. The operation is not diffi- 
cult and will be successful if the parts are not too badly 
inflamed. 

After-treatment consists of feeding very little food 
until the crop is fairly well healed. Feed soft bran 
mashes and vegetables. To the drinking water add Bor- 
acic Acid, one grain, twice daily. It relieves the catarr- 
hal condition that is present, such as irritations of the 
crop and intestines. 

DIARRHOEA. 

( Gastro-Intestinal Catarrh — Enteritis) 

Cause. — Inflammation of the digestive organs can 
be traced in every instance to the quality or quantity of 
food and water consumed. The food or water may con- 
tain parasites, or large quantities of mustard, pepper, or 
may be moldy or tainted. 

Symptoms. — Loss of appetite, the feathers appear 
rough, the crop is sometimes paralyzed and distended 
with gas, the bird moves slowly, the droppings vary in 
color from a white to a yellow or a green and finally be- 
comes tinged with blood; at this stage there is a rise in 
temperature accompanied by great thirst and signs of 
pain. Mild cases of simple diarrhoea if not properly 
treated when first symptoms appear, will develop the 
same severe conditions described above. 

Treatment. — Determine the cause and remove it if 
possible. See that the food is clean and nutritious, the 
coops well ventilated, the runs well lighted. Sunlight 
is very beneficial. Avoid exposures, drafts and damp- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 71 

ness. Place oatmeal in their drinking water, also give 
two grains of Bismuth mixed with dough and make into 
a small pill. Give one every six hours. 

When in addition to the above symptoms a bloody 
discharge is present, give six drops of Tincture of Cate- 
chu every four hours. Warm mashes made of bran or 
oatmeal are very nourishing and soothing to the intes- 
tinal canal. 

DIPHTHERETIC ROUP. 

(Diphtheria) 

Cause. — Due to a specific germ. The disease is very 
contagious and is communicated by direct contact. Great 
care should be exercised, therefore, when showing or 
buying birds. Any new birds to be added to the flock 
should be kept in separate pens for a week or two to 
make sure they are in good condition. 

Symptoms. — The first symptoms are similar to those 
of catarrh or cold. A clear, watery liquid escapes from 
the eyes and nostrils, the head is drawn in toward the 
body, the feathers appear rough, the breathing fast, the 
temperature rises from three to five degrees above nor- 
mal. The bird walks about as if blind, sneezing, swal- 
lowing with difficulty, and showing signs of great weak- 
ness. If the mouth is open small white spots or ele- 
vations will be seen on the back of the tongue. There 
may be diarrhoea of a green or yellow color. As the dis- 
ease progresses the discharge from the nose and eyes 
becomes thick and stringy, obstructing the air passages 
and gathering in large quantities between the eyelids. 
The mouth, throat and tongue are very much inflamed 
and swollen and in most cases it is impossible for the 
bird to make a sound. Recovery is doubtful after the 
disease has reached this stage. 



72 DISEASES OF POULTRY 

Treatment. — Isolate the affected birds in some 
clean, warm, light, well ventilated quarters, excluding 
drafts. Dissolve thirty grains of Chlorate of Potash in 
one ounce of water and one ounce of Glycerine, and to 
the average sized fowl give one teaspoonful three or four 
times a day. To chicks give one-fourth the dose. When 
the scum loosens in the back part of the tongue, remove 
gently. Care should be taken so as to prevent bleeding. 
Feed soft, nourishing food. 

DOUBLE- YOLK EGGS. 

Eggs are frequently found with two yolks. This 
condition is produced by two ovary capsules bursting at 
about the same time and gaining entrance together into 
the oviduct where they are concealed in the same shell. 
Double-yolked eggs are larger than normal and may in- 
jure the oviduct when expelled. When hatched they 
produce twins or abnormal chicks. 

DROPSY. 

(Ascites) 

Cause. — Generally due to irritating, indigestible 
food, causing inflammation of the membraneous lining 
of the intestinal cavity. 

Symptoms. — The abdomen becomes enlarged, is ten- 
der to the touch and contains a watery fluid, the move- 
ment of which can be heard in most cases by pressure on 
the swollen parts. The bird appears stupid, the comb 
pale and the appetite poor. 

Treatment. — Unless the bird is very valuable, treat- 
ment is not advisable. In case the bird is valuable, give 
one grain of Potassium Iodide twice daily in the feed or 
drinking water. Also feed nourishing food as beef- 
scraps, vegetables, wheat bran mashes, etc. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 73 

EGG BOUND. 

(Difficult Laying; Obstruction of the Oviduct) 

Cause. — Due to the eggs being too large, the bird 
too fat, or to the absence of the secretions lubricating the 
oviduct. 

Symptoms. — The first signs are scarcely noticeable 
but soon the feathers appear rough, the bird becomes dull 
and moves slowly, making frequent efforts to expel the 
egg. 

Treatment. — Remove the egg by injecting Sweet 
Oil, assisting the bird with gentle pressure. In some 
cases it is well to puncture the egg and collapse the shell. 
If the bird is very fat, reduce by careful feeding. If the 
bird is of normal size, the trouble is probably due to the 
absence of lubricating secretions of the oviduct, in which 
case the following tonic should be given: Pulv. Ferri 
Sulphate, Pulv. Gentian Root, each one dram. Mix and 
make into thirty powders. Give one powder two or three 
times a day in their feed for a week or ten days. 

EGG EATING. 

Cause. — Is usually due to lack of shell-building ma- 
terial in the food ; in such case the shell of the egg is thin 
and easily broken and the fowl craving the lime contained 
in the egg shell, naturally contracts the habit. 

Treatment. — Supply ground bone and oyster 
shells. Feed green food such as cabbage, kale, potatoes, 
carrots, etc. 

EGGS WITHOUT SHELLS. 

(Soft-Shelled Eggs) 

Cause. — Deficiency of shell material; or it is pos- 
sible that fright sometimes causes premature expulsion 
of the eggs before the shell is formed. 



74 



DISEASES OF POULTRY 



Treatment. — Feed ground bone, oyster shells. They 
contain egg shell producing material. Perhaps the best 
results are obtained when mixed with wheat bran. Also 
feed vegetables such as cabbage, potatoes and carrots. 

FEATHER PULLING. 

(Feather Eating) 

Cause. — Irritation of the skin due to lice, mites, or to 
lack of exercise and improper food. 

Treatment. — Feed meat, ground bones and vegeta- 
bles. Place the food where the fowls are compelled to 
scratch and work to obtain it. Dust the fowls with Pow- 
dered Aloes. 

If due to lice, treat the same as recommended under 
the heading of Lice. 

GAPES. 

(Verminous Trachea Bronchitis) 

Cause. — A red, parasitic worm, the male measuring 
about one-fifth of an inch and the female one-half an 
inch in length. Fowls become infected by eating worms 
containing this parasite or its eggs, and by coming in 
contact with other birds suffering from the disease. 

Symptoms. — The most noticeable symptom is fre- 
quent gaping ; the Gapeworms attach themselves by their 
mouths to the walls of the windpipe where they suck the 
blood which nourishes them ; they cause irritation and in- 
flammation of the windpipe, bronchial tubes and lungs ; 
breathing is difficult and the bird loses strength rapidly; 
windpipe eventually becomes totally obstructed and the 
bird dies from suffocation and exhaustion. Young, weak 
chickens are more susceptible to this disease than strong 
ones. 

Treatment. — Separate the sick birds from the 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 75 

healthy ones. Clean and disinfect the coops and runs. 
Burn all manure. Remove the worms from the wind- 
pipe by the use of a feather, from which the fan has been 
stripped, leaving only a small brush at the end. Dip the 
feather into Oil of Turpentine or Coal Oil, removing the 
surplus liquid by drawing the feather between the fin- 
gers. Now insert the feather into the windpipe of the 
bird and by turning gently you will dislodge the worms 
from their attachments. Repeat this treatment once a 
day for two or three days. Disinfect coops and runs 
with undiluted Crude Carbolic Acid. Feed good nutri- 
tious food as wheat bran mashes, etc. 

HEAD LICE. 

Cause. — Result of insanitary conditions and lack of 
care. Communicated by direct contact with infected 
birds, or by infected coops or brooders. 

Symptoms. — The head soon becomes denuded of 
feathers, and also sore by being constantly scratched 
with the feet. If not properly treated the chicks weaken 
and die. 

Treatment. — An ointment made of one part Sul- 
phur and four parts Lard well mixed and applied two to 
three times will exterminate the lice. If the fowl is run 
down in condition, feed good nutritious food as wheat 
bran mashes. 

HOW TO FEED YOUNG POULTRY. 

Withhold all food for at least eighteen hours; then 
feed stale bread moistened with boiled milk every three 
hours. When they are three or four days old, feed 
rolled oats, ground corn moistened with pure water, 
finely chopped meat and boiled vegetables. Feed them 
often and you will be well repaid by their rapid growth, 
strength, and the low death rate. After they reach the 



76 



DISEASES OF POULTRY 



age of one week or ten days, watch them closely and 
regulate their feed to their apparent needs. 

INCOMPLETE EGG. 

(Abortion) 

Cause. — Irritation of the oviduct; improper secre- 
tion of albumen or internal egg-producing material. 

Treatment.- — Careful feeding will overcome this 
condition. Warm wheat bran mashes, ground bone, beef 
scraps, all tend to allay the irritations of the oviduct and 
stimulate the secretions of albumen. 

JAUNDICE. 

Cause. — Obstruction of the bile duct, due to rich, 
nitrogenous food and insufficient exercise. 

Symptoms. — Disease is not easily detected. The 
yellow color of the wattles and comb is the first symp- 
tom ; the appetite is variable, the feathers appear rough 
and dry, the head is retracted, and the bird finally dies 
owing to the absorption of bile in the blood. 

Treatment. — Change food. Feed upon a vegetable 
diet, also give one grain of Calomel, which is particularly 
useful in a case of sluggish liver in poultry. Also give 
one grain of Pulv. Gentian Root and one grain of Bicar- 
bonate of Soda, twice daily in feed. 

MANGE. 
(Scabies of the Body) 

Cause. — Due to a parasite that resembles the mite. 

Symptoms. — When the affected bird is closely exam- 
ined large quantities of scales or scabs are found in the 
soft feathers. The appetite is poor ; the bird walks slow- 
ly about showing signs of uneasiness. If the disease is 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 77 

allowed to run its course, the bird grows weak and event- 
ually dies. The disease is easily transmitted from one 
bird to another and should be treated without delay. 

Treatment. — Disinfect roost, coops and pens with 
undiluted Crude Carbolic Acid. Apply to the irritations 
that present themselves on the body of the birds : Sul- 
phur Ointment twice a week and feed good nourishing 
food as wheat bran mashes and vegetables. 

PIP. 

[Inflammation of the Mouth) 

Cause. — Irritations, injuries, or micro-organisms. It 
is sometimes caused by nothing more than a dry condi- 
tion of the mucous membrane due to the bird breathing 
through the mouth when suffering from respiratory dis- 
eases. 

Symptoms. — Dryness of the mucous membrane of 
the mouth; especially the part covering the tongue, 
which becomes hard and ragged, forming rough edges 
along its sides. These dried portions become loose and 
partially detached from the tongue, interfering with its 
movements and causing more or less pain and annoy- 
ance. 

Treatment. — Do not forcibly detach these pieces, 
but assist nature to remove them. This can be accom- 
plished by mixing Glycerine and Water, equal parts, and 
dropping into the mouth with an ordinary syringe or 
dropper. It is advisable to add Boracic Acid, one tea- 
spoonful to every gallon of drinking water, which will 
prevent the entrance of parasites into the blood. 

RED MITE. 

Cause. — These grow spontaneously in favorable sur- 
roundings, as the interior of poultry houses and brooders 
containing numerous cracks and crevices. 



78 DISEASES OF POULTRY 

Symptoms. — This mite is a blood-sucker; irritates 
the skin and sometimes causes sores to form on the body 
of the chick. The birds grow stupid and weak and die 
rapidly if not properly treated. Older fowls withstand 
the irritation of mites much longer, but do not thrive, or 
lay regularly, and will finally die if the insects become 
too numerous. The insect may be transmitted to horses, 
cattle, and even to man. 

Treatment. — Paint the roosts and spray the interior 
of the coops and runs with Crude Carbolic Acid, undi- 
luted, being very careful that the solution reaches the 
bottoms of the cracks and crevices. Also paint the in- 
terior of brooders with the same solution. 

RHEUMATISM. 

(Leg Weakness — Gout — Paralysis) 

Cause. — Damp coops and pens, lack of ventilation 
and improper food. 

Symptoms. — Fowl refuses to stand or walk, and on 
examination, the legs are found to be swollen and pain- 
ful, especially about the joints. In some cases suppura- 
tion of the joints takes place and they become open run- 
ning sores. The bone finally becomes diseased and the 
fowl dies. 

Treatment. — Preventive measures are first to be 
considered. See that the coops and pens are clean and 
dry. Avoid drafts. Feed vegetables, also wheat bran 
mashes. Give internally Salicylic Acid, one-half grain, 
twice daily. When the legs are swollen and sore apply 
Zinc Ointment once or twice daily. 

SCALY LEG. 

(Scabies) 

Cause. — Due to a mite that burrows under the scales 
of the leg. 



CAUSE,, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 79 

Symptoms. — White, scaly-looking scabs form about 
the upper part of the foot. The feet and legs become 
swollen and painful as the disease progresses and if not 
checked will result in lameness, inflammation of the 
joints, and the toes may slough off. Great care is neces- 
sary as the disease is very easily transmitted from one 
bird to another. 

Treatment. — Use boiling water or Crude Carbolic 
Acid, undiluted, on the perches. Wash the feet and legs 
with warm water and soft soap. Dry well and apply 
Carbolated Ointment. Repeat the above treatment 
every other day for a week. 

SORE MOUTH. 

(Aphtha; Thrush) 

Cause. — A vegetable parasite called Oidium Albi- 
cans. 

Symptoms. — Inflammation of the mucous membrane 
lining the mouth, throat, gullet and crop, which finally 
terminates in white ulcerations. Other symptoms are 
swelling of the head, poor appetite and a rapid loss in 
weight and strength. 

Treatment. — Isolate the sick from the healthy 
fowls. Give as much sunlight as possible, feed nourish- 
ing food, such as warm oatmeal mashes, kale, potatoes, 
etc. Add one grain each of Chlorate of Potash and 
Boracic Acid to a tablespoonful of water and give three 
or four times a day or oftener if they will drink it. A 
good disinfectant must be used to prevent the disease 
from spreading and I would recommend the use of un- 
diluted Crude Carbolic Acid about the coops and poultry 
runs. 

TUBERCULOSIS. 

Cause. — This dreaded disease is caused by the Bacil- 
lus of Tuberculosis. Damp, ill-ventilated, and poorly- 



80 DISEASES OF POULTRY 

lighted coops are favorable to the development of the 
disease. 

Symptoms. — Except in advanced stages, this disease 
is not easily detected as it affects various organs, and 
considerable experience in post-mortems and a skillful 
use of the microscope is required to successfully diagnose 
a case. 

Treatment. — Preventive measures should be prac- 
ticed as the disease is incurable. Do not expose the 
fowls to cold wet weather. See that the coops are well 
ventilated and lighted and feed no contaminated food. 

VENT GLEET. 

Cause. — Constipation is perhaps the most common 
cause, the hard droppings causing irritation of the vent 
which is followed by inflammation and suppuration of 
the membranes lining the rectum and oviduct. 

Symptoms. — Frequent straining due to irritation. 
As the disease progresses a pus-like discharge is noticed. 
The disease may extend into the rectum or oviduct. The 
bird appears stupid, the plumage rough, the comb pale, 
and if not properly treated, dies a lingering death. 

Treatment. — Preventive treatment is the best. Feed 
green food occasionally and warm bran mashes. This 
prevents constipation. When the bird strains frequently 
and a discharge is present the following solution should 
be injected: Sugar of Lead, two drams; Zinc Sulphate, 
one dram. Mix with two quarts of water. Inject about 
one ounce with a syringe twice daily until the discharge 
has ceased. 

WHITE DIARRHOEA. 

(Fowl Cholera) 

Cause. — Germ (Bacilli of Fowl Cholera) gaining 
entrance to the body through the bowels, lungs or wounds 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 81 

of the skin. Death results from toxic material pro- 
duced while the germs are multiplying. 

Symptoms. — All poultry, cage or wild birds are sub- 
ject to this disease. The first symptoms are loss of ap- 
petite; diarrhoea is present and the discharge is almost 
white in color and tinged with transparent mucus. The 
affected bird becomes separated from the flock, seems 
weak and stupid and appears to be asleep; feathers are 
rough, the wings droop and the head is drawn in toward 
the body; crop is generally full, owing to improper di- 
gestion. The comb is pale and bloodless, the tempera- 
ture raised from three to five degrees above normal and 
the bird loses weight rapidly; it may die with convul- 
sions and cries, or without a sound or struggle. 

Treatment. — To grown fowls, give Zinc Sulphocar- 
bolates in one-half grain doses three times a day in their 
food or drinking water. To chicks, dissolve thirty grains 
of Zinc Sulphocarbolates in two quarts of water. Satu- 
rate feed, as stale bread, etc., and give three times a day. 
Zinc Sulphocarbolates is an antiseptic especially pre- 
pared for septic conditions of the intestines, and very 
useful in treatment of White Diarrhoea and Fowl Chol- 
era. In severe cases of diarrhoea, give Bismuth Salicy- 
late, one grain, three times daily in feed or make into a 
pill with dough. When the fowls will eat, feed them 
clean, nitrogenous food that they can digest easily, as 
oatmeal mashes. It is also necessary to give them pure 
water to drink at all times. Disinfection of the premises 
is another essential factor in the treatment of this dis- 
ease, and undiluted Crude Carbolic Acid is a disinfectant 
that we can rely upon at all times. 

I cannot recommend vaccination as the serum is very 
difficult and expensive to produce and different breeds 
of birds require varying doses, therefore, vaccinating 
poultry for White Diarrhoea or Fowl Cholera is not at- 
tended with any great degree of success. 



82 DISEASES OF POULTRY 



WORMS. 

Cause. — Few fowls are entirely free from worms. 
The soil over which the chicks are permitted to run may- 
be infected, or the food may contain the eggs or embryos 
of worms. 

Symptoms. — The presence of worms in fowls may 
not be at once detected, since only a close observer would 
notice them in the droppings. If the birds eat well but 
remain poor, and the feathers appear rough and the 
comb and wattles pale, there is reason to suspect the 
existence of worms. 

Treatment. — Preventive treatment is the best. 
Sprinkle the runs and coops regularly with Crude Car- 
bolic Acid, undiluted. Give two drops of Turpentine in 
twice this quantity of Sweet or Olive Oil. This dose 
should be repeated in from six to eight days so as to in- 
sure the expulsion of the newly hatched worms or those 
that may have survived the first treatment. 



m 



DISEASES OF THE 



DOG 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND 
TREATMENT 




o 
o 

Q 

to 
O 

CO 

H 
to 
< 
to 

to 
O 

z 
o 

I— I 

H 
< 
O 

o 



Location of Pauts of Dog 



1. Forehead. 

2. Junction of nose and 

head. 

3. Nose. 

4. Nostrils. 

5. Muzzle. 

6. Temple. 

7. Ears. 

8. Occiput. 

9. Posterior angle of jaw. 

10. Neck. 

11. Withers. 

12. Saddle. 

13. Loins. 

14. Croup. 

15. Dewlap. 

16. Brisket. 

17. Arm. 

18. Shoulder. 



19. Point of elbow. 
fore-20. Ribs. 

21. Flank. 

22. Forearm. 

23. Knee or wrist. 

24. Pastern. 

25. Toes. 

26. Buttock. 

27. First thigh. 

28. Stifle. 

29. Second Thigh. 

30. Point of hock. 

31. Front of hock. 

32. Pastern. 

33. Toes. 

34. Cheeks. 

35. Tail or stern. 

36. Sheath. 



PREFACE 

In offering this chapter for the consideration of the 
Students as well as to the Veterinary Profession and 
others who are interested in the study of diseases of 
the dog I feel it will suffice to say that I have endeavored 
to the best of my ability to render the matter contained 
in the following chapter of as great practical value as 
possible, to present in the most plain and yet concise 
manner the nature, causes, symptoms, treatment, and 
prevention of each disease in the form in which it most 
frequently occurs. 

I wish to express a hope that this chapter will be 
favorably received by all Students of Veterinary Science 
and the Veterinary Profession. 

Charles J. Korinek, V. S. 



CHAPTER VI 

ABSCESSES OF THE EAR 

(Haematoma) 

Cause. — Irritations or injuries to the ear. Washing 
dogs with irritating soap and not properly drying them 
causes dogs to have an itchy sensation which they con- 
stantly aggravate by scratching the ear with the paw 
and shaking the head and flopping the ears violently, 
resulting in this disease. 

Symptoms. — The dog will be noticed carrying the 
head to one side and shaking it frequently in a violent 
manner. It will also scratch the ear with the paw invol- 
untarily. When the inner surface of the ear is carefully 
examined it will be found extremely swollen and have an 
abnormal appearance, will be stiff and extend out from 
the head. Great heat and pain will be evinced when 
pressure is applied. The puffy swelling inside the ear 
will contain a serous fluid which is very offensive in odor. 

Treatment. — With a clean, sharp knife open the 
abscess and allow the bloody fluid to escape. Then dress 
the wound twice a day with clean cotton and a solution 
made from Tincture of Iodine, one dram, to one-half 
ounce of water. To prevent the dog from scratching 
and flopping the ears, which would cause further irrita- 
tion, bind the ears to the head by means of a bandage or 
hood. Feed clean, wholesome, laxative food and compel 
him to exercise, as good physical condition and clean sur- 
roundings assist materially in healing wounds of the 
flesh. 



86 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

APOPLEXY 

(Congestion of the Brain) 

Cause. — Congestion or rupture of the blood vessels 
of the brain, which causes a sudden arrest of sense and 
motion, the dog lying as if in a deep sleep. It seldom 
attacks young, but occurs frequently in fat dogs, espe- 
cially if aged and not accustomed to exercise. 

Symptoms. — They are very hard to detect, as the 
dog generally becomes unconscious before any violent 
symptoms are noticed, but there is generally unsteadi- 
ness in the walk, dizziness, deafness, blindness, constipa- 
tion, etc., preceding an attack, but only a careful ob- 
server will notice them. 

Treatment. — As this is a very dangerous disease, 
no time should be lost. The first thing is to relieve the 
head from the accumulation of blood to prevent further 
congestion and avoid inflammatory action. To accom- 
plish this place the head well up and apply cold to the 
head by means of pounded ice in a clothbag. Loosen 
the collar around the neck and apply hot packs to the 
feet to induce the flow of blood to the lower extremities. 
Also give a physic consisting of one to two grains of 
Calomel. After the dog recovers from the fit great care 
will be required to prevent a second attack. The diet 
should be light and nutritious. Always avoid feeding 
too large a quantity at one time, to prevent overloading 
of the stomach. Also avoid excitement or excessive 
exercise on a hot day. A cathartic as Calomel should be 
administered when a dog shows any signs of constipa- 
tion. 

ASTHMA 

Cause. — In some instances I believe it is hereditary, 
although in others no influence of this nature can be dis- 
covered. This affection frequently follows organic dis- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 87 

eases of the chest. The spasms of difficult breathing 
may be directly due to irritants inspired into the lungs, 
such as smoke, gas, or dust and cold air containing in- 
fectious matter. Overfeeding frequently produces this 
condition, as an abnormal distention of the stomach 
presses against the lungs and causes them to become 
inactive and spasmodic contraction of the muscular fibers 
of the bronchial tubes follows. Dogs with narrow chest 
cavities are predisposed to asthma, which condition is 
hereditary. 

Symptoms. — This disease is attended with difficulty 
of breathing and a sensation of constriction of the chest, 
giving rise to wheezing, coughing and general nervous- 
ness. The animal becomes emaciated, the hair has a 
rough, faded appearance, although it will continue to eat 
well. Constipation is generally associated with this dis- 
ease. 

Treatment. — Place the animal in clean, comfort- 
able surroundings, exercise carefully as violent exercise 
would tend to aggravate the disease. Feed sparingly 
on nitrogenous food that is easily digested ; also adminis- 
ter Fowler's Solution of Arsenic, four drops, twice daily. 
This can be placed on the food, as the dog will take it 
readily. If the bowels are constipated, give one to two 
tablespoonfuls of Castor Oil. Good care and careful 
feeding play a very important part in the treatment of 
asthma. 

BARRENNESS 

Cause. — Either the extreme of overfeeding and in- 
sufficient exercise or of overworking and insufficient 
supply of food. Contraction of the neck of the womb or 
atrophy of the ovaries may produce barrenness. There 
are also other conditions that produce failure to breed, 
such as inflammation or growths in the womb or ovaries, 
leucorrhea, etc. 

Symptoms. — If due to Leucorrhea there will be a 



88 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

white, glary discharge from the vagina, which looks like 
curdled milk. It sometimes accumulates in the uterus 
and comes away in large quantities and there is a fetid 
smell. The animal generally becomes debilitated. In 
other cases, where there is a contraction of the womb or 
atrophy of the ovaries, no abnormal conditions will be 
noticed except that the animal fails to conceive when 
bred. 

Treatment. — Use both local and constitutional 
treatment. Feed sparingly on nitrogenous food that 
is easily digested. Allow to exercise moderately and 
the bitch may become fertile, if no morbid conditions are 
present. If the animal is constipated administer one to 
two ounces of Castor Oil and if in a rundown, debilitated 
condition give Pulv. Nux Vomica, Pulv. Ginger Root, 
Pulv. Ferri Sulphate, each one dram. Make into thirty- 
two capsules and give one capsule three times daily. 

BRONCHITIS 

Cause. — Sudden change of temperature, etc., chok- 
ing, drenching, inhalations of irritating material as cer- 
tain vapors, dust, etc., containing infectious material; 
accumulations of gas in the stomach containing particles 
of food may be regurgitated up into the esophagus fre- 
quently producing bronchitis. 

Symptoms. — The chief symptoms consist of fever, 
hurried breathing with a sense of tightness about the 
chest, but not always acute pain. The cough is severe 
and dry at first, but later expectoration commences. The 
discharge that is raised from the bronchial tubes at first 
is a clear, thin mucus, but afterwards it becomes thicker, 
more abundant and purulent. It is difficult for persons 
not accustomed to examining the chest to always dis- 
tinguish the disease from pneumonia, if the case is one 
of severity. In mild cases the symptoms need not 
usually occasion much alarm. 

Treatment. — This disease may be prevented fre- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 89 

quently by giving five to ten grains of Dover's Powder 
as soon as it is discovered that the dog has taken a cold. 
It is best given in the evening then placing the dog in a 
warm bed; also give some warm stimulants to drink as 
Tincture of Capsicum, five to fifteen drops in a tea- 
spoonful of luke warm water. In the morning, give one 
to two grains of Calomel. If the above does not cut 
the disease short, then keep the dog confined to warm 
quarters and give inhalations of steam from hot water 
and Turpentine. For the cough, which is usually trou- 
blesome, give the following mixture: Potassium Chlo- 
rate, one dram ; Liquor Ammonia Acetate, three ounces ; 
Vini Ipecac, two drams; Tincture of Camph. Co., one- 
half ounce; Aqua Chloroform, quantity sufficient to 
make four ounces. Give one to two teaspoonfuls three 
or four times daily. Also feed nutritious food that is 
easily digested and permit the animal to have access to 
pure cold water. 

BURNS AND SCALDS 

There is considerable difference in the extent of in- 
jury from the burns produced by hot vapors, fluids, etc. 
'In some cases, which are only superficial, there will be 
slight inflammation or redness produced, while in others 
the burn may be of severity and cause the death of the 
skin, followed by sloughing. 

Treatment. — For Burns and Scalds of ordinary 
severity, I have derived excellent results from equal 
parts of Raw Linseed Oil and Lime Water, as it re- 
moves the soreness and restores the part to its normal 
condition. In cases where the skin is sloughed off, in ad- 
dition to the above recommended, dust with Boracic 
Acid, two ounces; Corn Starch, two ounces; Tannic 
Acid, one-half ounce; Iodoform, two drams. Mix and 
powder finely. Place in sifter top can and apply two 
or three times daily to the moist, sloughing surface. 



90 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

CANKER OF THE EAR 

Cause. — Filth and dust, especially in long-eared 
hunting dogs, as the inner surface of the ear becomes 
dirty and damp from wading streams and running 
through tall, wet grass. This condition is not serious 
at first, but it will irritate the dog so as to cause him to 
shake his head and scratch the ear with his paw. Permit 
no filth to enter the ear as this will assist to develop a 
Canker, which becomes very painful. 

Symptoms. — The dog shakes the head violently and 
scratches the ears with the paw and even howls from the 
severe pain produced. The ears will be moist and have 
a poked-out appearance, due to the swelling. As the 
disease progresses, there will be a very disagreeable dis- 
charge from the ear that can be very easily detected some 
distance from the animal. Ulceration eventually fol- 
lows, affecting the internal structure of the ear, which 
condition is very difficult to treat. 

Treatment. — Remove the cause, if possible. Then 
inject ten to fifteen drops of the following solution: 
Mild Chloride of Mercury, fifteen grains ; Lime Water, 
four ounces. Shake well and apply to the ear as above 
mentioned two to three times a day. Place a small 
piece of cotton in the ear after each injection. Also 
place a hood over the ears or bandage them down with 
a cloth. 

CATARRH 

(Cold in the Head) 

Cause. — The most common, perhaps, is exposure, 
especially after a dog has been used to warm closed 
quarters. Dogs used for hunting purposes, when in a 
poor condition, with their system weakened, are often 
victims of Catarrh. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 91 

Symptoms. — Slight dullness. May not take food 
very well, hair standing to some extent, pulse not much 
affected, throat becomes sore. After the congestion 
passes off, exudation takes place, followed by discharge 
and it may be very profuse, but it need not alarm you. 
There is generally impaired secretion of urine, but 
breathing not much affected in most cases. We also 
have a discharge from the nose in other diseases, such 
as Distemper, Bronchitis, Pneumonia, etc. 

Treatment. — The treatment should be constitu- 
tional as well as local. Place the animal in clean, well- 
ventilated quarters ; feed good nourishing food, which is 
quite important. The following prescription is very 
beneficial in suppressing the secretion from the nostrils : 
Ferri Hypophosphitis, five grains; Quinine Sulphate, 
three grains ; Pulv. Nux Vomica, two drams ; Arsenous 
Acid, one-half grain. Make into twelve capsules and 
give one capsule two or three times a day. Give inhala- 
tions of steam from hot water and Oil of Eucalyptus for 
one-half hour twice daily. Permit the dog to exercise 
if the weather is favorable. If constipated give rectal 
injections and feed laxative food. Avoid giving physics 
in Catarrh, especially if there is fever present. 

CHOREA 

( St. Vitus Dance) 

Cause. — Due to an irritation of the nervous system. 
It is especially associated with debility, although it may 
follow constitutional diseases, such as Distemper, etc. 
It is sometimes caused by a direct injury to the brain 
or spinal cord. 

Symptoms. — A continuous twitching of the muscles 
which is noticeable even though the animal sleeps. The 
muscles of the head may be affected, or those of one or 
both fore limbs or of a hind limb. An animal affected 
with Chorea will show an unsteady gait when walking 



92 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

and usually becomes very poor, although it will have a 
very good appetite at all times. 

Treatment. — In severe cases the dog will not, as a 
rule, respond to treatment. In milder cases, if taken in 
hand early, improvement may be brought about, but 
seldom a complete recovery. Many drugs have been 
tried in the treatment of Chorea, but the superiority of 
one medicine over another has not been practically dem- 
onstrated. Fowler's Solution of Arsenic given in from 
two to eight drop doses has been tried in a large number 
of cases and in my experience it has given the best re- 
sults. The drug should be given at first in small doses 
and gradually increased as tolerance is established. If 
the physiological action of the Arsenic becomes mani- 
fested it should be discontinued for a few days. In 
severe cases, Sedatives are indicated. Of these, either 
Bromide of Potassi or Sodii should be given in ten to 
twenty grain doses, prepared in gelatin capsules and 
administered three or four times a day. Attention to 
the digestive organs and to the diet is necessary during 
the treatment. If the dog is constipated one or two 
tablespoonfuls of Castor Oil should be administered. 
Feed nitrogenous food that is easily digested and pro- 
vide comfortable sleeping quarters. 

COLIC 

Cause. — Worms, indigestible or decomposed irritat- 
ing food, compaction or obstruction, calculus, strictures 
of the intestines or it may be due to liver complication 
and animals swallowing sharp bones, etc. Several forms 
of poisoning may produce Colic. 

Symptoms. — The dog evinces severe abdominal pain, 
usually with constipation and often vomiting. As a 
rule, there is no fever or quickness of the pulse. The 
pain, which is spasmodic, is relieved on pressure as the 
dog prefers to lie on his abdomen in many instances. 
The dog frequently eats green grass as this causes him 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 93 

to vomit, which is nature's method of relieving the diges- 
tive tract of irritating material. 

Treatment. — In cases which are not very severe, 
the application of hot cloths to the abdomen frequently 
affords relief. Ginger, ten to twenty grains, dissolved 
in a teaspoonful of water may relieve a mild attack, but 
when the above treatment fails the following is recom- 
mended : Fluid Extract of Cannabis Indica, one dram ; 
Chloroform, one dram; Tincture of Capsicum, ten 
drops; Oil of Peppermint, ten drops; Morphine, three 
grains; water, quantity sufficient to make one fluid 
ounce. Give ten to fifteen drops every hour, if neces- 
sary. A physic is indicated in the majority of cases of 
Colic for the purpose of removing irritants or obstruc- 
tions from the intestines. Calomel, one to two grains, 
is a very efficient drug, while Castor Oil is given with 
great difficulty and it should be administered only where 
diarrhoea is a complication of Colic. Rectal injections 
of warm water is very beneficial in the treatment of in- 
testinal obstructions. It is good practice to give a dog 
some vermifuge after an attack of Colic, as worms fre- 
quently produce it. 

CONSTIPATION 

Cause. — Insufficient exercise, overfeeding or feed- 
ing decomposed or irritating foods. Dogs are predis- 
posed to indigestion as they frequently swallow a large 
quantity of indigestible food without masticating it. 
Poor care and exposure to cold also frequently produce 
Constipation. 

Symptoms. — Constipation is often a complication of 
other diseases, the feces is dry-looking and may be more 
or less covered with a mucus. A prominent symptom 
is straining, attempts to defecate, the appetite is greatly 
impaired, the dog acts dull and stands with the head 
down or goes off to some quiet place and lies down. 
Protrusion of the rectum or piles may occur, especially 



94 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

if the animal has eaten freely of dry, indigestible food. 
Colicky pains are sometimes manifested. Constipation 
occurring from causes other than a complication of dis- 
eases seldom takes on a serious form. 

Treatment. — When a dog becomes constipated, all 
dry, indigestible food should be withheld. A soft, easily 
digested diet should be fed sparingly and a liberal sup- 
ply of water allowed. In some cases it is well to exer- 
cise the dog. A physic of two to four ounces of Castor 
Oil should be given, but overdosing with physics avoided. 
The action of the physic should be assisted by injecting 
into the rectum warm, soapy water. Tonics which assist 
digestion by stimulating secretions of the bowels, should 
be administered, as Ferri Sulphate, one-half dram; 
Quinine, one-half dram; Pulv. Nux Vomica, one-half 
dram; Gentian Root, one dram. Mix and make into 
twelve capsules and give one capsule three or four times 
a day. 

The above treatment must be persisted in until the 
constipated condition is relieved. 

DIARRHOEA AND DYSENTERY 

Cause. — Among the common causes of Diarrhoea 
and Dysentery can be mentioned irritating foods, sud- 
den change in feed, decomposed matter, irritation from 
intestinal worms, imperfect mastication of food and its 
imperfect preparation for digestion, eating more food 
than the digestive organs can well digest, debilitated 
condition and irritation from indigestible food. The 
immediate cause is perhaps the irritated condition of the 
mucous membranes lining the intestines and a profuse 
secretion from the intestinal glands, nature's own 
method of removing poisonous or infectious matter from 
the digestive canal. 

Symptoms. — Undue amount of liquid feces, the dog 
weakly and sickly, the coat staring and perhaps a sort 
of curdled fluid passes with the feces. If the fecal mat- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 95 

ter is tinged with blood, then it is called Dysentery, and 
this is more serious than common Diarrhoea. These 
conditions are generally associated with other diseases 
and should be examined very carefully for complications. 

Treatment. — Treatment consists of keeping the 
dog as quiet as possible, feed sparingly on clean, easily 
digested food, as raw eggs, etc. It may be necessary to 
give a dose of physic, as Castor Oil in two to four ounce 
doses which is an excellent remedy for expelling irritants 
from the bowels without griping. After the cause or 
irritant from within the intestines is removed administer 
Protan, one-half ounce; Gum Catechu, one-half ounce; 
Zinc Sulphocarbolates, two grains. Make into sixteen 
capsules and give one capsule every four hours. This 
dose is prepared for a dog weighing forty pounds. To 
larger dogs or puppies give the same medicine in doses 
proportionate to their weight. 

DISTEMPER 

Cause. — Is due to a specific bacteria that is devel- 
oped spontaneously, although I am of the opinion that 
insanitary surroundings, as dark, damp, ill-ventilated 
quarters play a very active part in its causation as well 
as food that is decomposed, contaminated or deficient in 
nitrogenous matter, or any condition that has a tendency 
to weaken the dog's constitution. 

Symptoms. — The first symptom revealed is a bad 
cold. The dog chills, the eyes become inflamed and a 
thin watery discharge oozes from them as well as from 
the nostrils, and, as the disease progresses, this thin 
waterly discharge takes on a pus-like character, becomes 
thick, yellow, tinged with blood, sticky and very offens- 
ive in smell. The dog vomits and has a dry, husky 
cough, the temperature rises from two to four degrees 
above normal, the pulse considerably weakened, breath- 
ing hurried and labored and the dog walks around in a 
staggering stupor and may even go into convulsions. 



96 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

There is also a twitching of the muscles in many cases, 
as in Chorea, and this disease generally follows Dis- 
temper. In other cases, the dog will lie flat on the side, 
breathe with great difficulty, in a half -unconscious man- 
ner. This is a very unfavorable symptom, as lung com- 
plications have developed. Constipation or diarrhoea 
and even dysentery that is foul in odor may accompany 
this disease. The dog grows very poor, weak, the legs, 
nose and ears grow cold and clammy, and death follows. 
When the above described symptoms are present, the 
dog generally dies in from two to four days. If he lives 
through this stage, chances are that he will develop 
Chorea and be of practically no value. 

Treatment. — As this disease runs its course in 
about eighteen days, good sanitary surroundings are 
very beneficial. Pure, fresh air, light, clean and com- 
fortable place to lie upon are also necessary. Feed al- 
buminous food, as raw eggs, milk, etc. Beef broth is 
very beneficial in many cases; also permit the dog to 
have free access to pure water at all times. 

If vomiting accompanies the disease, the following 
prescription should be administered: Diluted Prussic 
Acid, nine drops ; Morphine Hydrochlorate, ten grains ; 
Bismuth Nitrate, one dram; water, quantity sufficient to 
make three ounces. Give one tablespoonful not oftener 
than six hours. This should be given a dog weighing 
forty pounds. Smaller or larger dogs should receive 
the same medicine in doses proportionate to their weight. 
When constipation is present, give two to four ounces of 
Castor Oil. The general medical treatment for Dog 
Distemper consists of the following: Quinine Sulphate, 
two drams ; Potassi Nitrate, three drams ; Zinc Sulpho- 
carbolates, two drams. Mix well and make into twenty- 
four capsules and give one capsule every two or three 
hours. This dose should be proportionately increased 
in dogs weighing over forty pounds, or decreased for 
dogs weighing less than forty pounds. Of course a dif- 
ference of five pounds should not be considered. Bathe 
the nose and eyes several times daily in a five per cent 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 97 

solution of Boracic Acid. When complications, as 
Chorea or Pneumonia develop, use the treatments as 
described under their respective headings. 

ECZEMA 
(Surfeit) 

Cause. — Derangements of the digestive canal, dogs 
recovering from distemper, or a bitch after whelping, is 
predisposed to Eczema. Dogs exposed to a sudden 
chilling of the surface of the body, when heated, fre- 
quently develop Surfeit. Sometimes dogs confined to 
poorly ventilated, damp kennels develop Eczema, or 
Surfeit. In fact, any condition that tends to cause a 
sluggishness of the circulation produces impure blood, 
and eruptions of the skin naturally follow as a result. 

Symptoms. — This disease generally affects the neck, 
back, inside the thighs, arms and the abdomen. The 
skin becomes red, painful to the touch, small pimples 
form and serum oozes from them. This gradually 
spreads and the skin becomes raw and ulcerated. The 
dog will continue to scratch and bite himself violently, 
producing further irritation, if not properly treated. 

Treatment. — Internal treatment is just as essential 
as applications to the skin. Digestive and blood dis- 
orders must be eradicated before the outer surface of 
the body will yield to a treatment. Internally, give 
Fowler's Solution of Arsenic, two to eight drops, three 
times daily in the food. The drug should be given at 
first in small doses and gradually increased as tolerance 
is established. If the bowels are sluggish, give one to 
three grains of Calomel. This will relieve any irritant 
in the alimentary canal. Feed food that is easily di- 
gested, as vegetables, Cod Liver Oil, etc. Beef Broth 
is beneficial, but a heavy meat diet should be discon- 
tinued. To the irritated surface of the skin, the follow- 
ing is soothing as well as healing: Zinc Oxide, one 



98 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

ounce; Pisis Liquid, one ounce; Mercurial Ointment, 
one ounce. Mix and apply sparingly once a day. 
Poisons are readily absorbed through the skin, there- 
fore, be very careful when using powerful antiseptics 
over a large surface of the body. 

EYE INJURIES 

(Conjunctivitis) 

Cause. — Direct or indirect injuries, as a blow from a 
whip, dust, sand or chaff in the eye, or may be due to 
extreme cold, or heat, or foul air. 

Symptoms. — An inflammation of the superficial 
structures of the eye, with a partial or complete closure, 
and a watery discharge due to the overstimulation 
of the lachrymal glands, the fluid being secreted so 
abundantly that it is impossible for the tear duct to 
carry it away, hence there will be a continuous flow of 
tears running down the side of the dog's face. The 
formation of a film or a scum over the eyes need not 
cause alarm if the eyeball shows no sign of being lacer- 
ated or punctured. 

Treatment. — Examine the eye carefully and re- 
move any foreign body with a clean cloth or feather, 
and use a solution made from distilled water containing 
three per cent Boric Acid, and apply ten or twelve 
drops to the eye by the use of an ordinary eye-dropper. 
Keep the animal in a clean, dark room, as it hastens 
recovery and avoids other serious eye complications. 

FITS 

(Epilepsy) 

Cause. — Usually arises from excessive nervous irri- 
tation, induced by disturbances of the stomach and 
bowels from the presence of worms, indigestible food, 



CAUSE J SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 99 

etc., or it may arise occasionally from a hereditary pre- 
disposition, sexual excess, urine irritation, or from other 
causes inducing extreme nervousness, irritability, etc. 
Dogs affected with this disease are usually troubled with 
dyspepsia and constipation. 

Symptoms. — The leading symptoms of the disease 
are sudden loss of consciousness, with spasms of muscles, 
followed by exhaustion and drowsiness. After a certain 
length of time has passed, the attack returns. About 
five or ten per cent of the cases give some warning for 
a short time before the fits come on, but in most cases 
the fit comes on suddenly, the dog whines, and at once 
falls to the ground senseless with convulsions. The eyes 
are partly open, the eyeballs rolling, and a gnawing of 
the teeth, foaming at the mouth; the tongue is usually 
extended out, and many times badly bitten. The nose 
is usually cold and clammy and breathing laborious. 
The fit usually lasts from a few minutes to one-half 
hour, but in some cases continues for longer time. 

Treatment. — The dog should be placed on a blan- 
ket to prevent inhalations of dust, etc., remove the collar 
from around the neck, and apply cold applications of 
ice to the head. The remedy most to be relied upon is 
Bromide of Potassium, and should be given to a dog 
weighing forty pounds in doses of twenty grains three 
times a day. The dose to larger or smaller dogs should 
be given in proportion to their weight. If necessary, 
the dose may be increased one-third for a short time. 
Also give Castor Oil, one to two ounces. To puppies 
give in proportion to their weight. Pay strict attention 
to the organs of digestion, and see that the nourishment 
taken is sufficient to nourish the body well, but be care- 
ful not to have an over-amount at one time. Also regu- 
late the feed so as to always have five or six hours elapse 
between feeds. It is advisable to give a vermifuge 
in all cases of fits, as worms are frequently producers 
of the malady. 



100 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

FRACTURES 

(Bone Fractures) 

Cause. — There are several different varieties of 
fractures, but for convenience sake I will divide them 
into four varieties: 

1. Simple fracture is one in which a bone is broken 
and the muscles and skin are not severely injured. 

2. Compound fracture is one in which the sharp 
ends of the broken bone penetrate and perhaps pass 
through the skin. This is considered a rather severe 
fracture. 

3. Comminuted fracture is one in which a broken 
bone is badly shattered. 

4. Complicated fracture is one in which important 
articular joints and large arteries are injured. 

Some people imagine that the bones of the dog will 
not unite as quickly as the bones of man, but I am of 
the opinion that they will unite quicker if the bones are 
properly placed and the animal kept quiet. I will admit 
that fractures are somewhat troublesome to treat in some 
cases, although I have seen dogs with severe fractures 
make good recoveries without any assistance other than 
that of nature. In treating a fracture where the bones 
penetrate the skin, cut the hair from around the surface 
and wash with a five per cent solution of Carbolic Acid. 
Place the broken bones in position, wrap the surface 
with a thin layer of cotton and retain the bones in posi- 
tion with splints and bandages. Keep the animal as 
quiet as possible and feed on soft laxative good. If 
bowels become constipated, give two to four ounces of 
Castor Oil. If severe swelling follows in a few days, 
and the dog shows signs of great pain, remove the band- 
age and wash clean with an antiseptic. Then place 
fresh cotton around the part and bandage the same as 
before. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 101 

GOITER 

(Bronchocele) 

Cause. — Generally associated with a debilitated con- 
dition of a heavy pregnant bitch that is poorly fed, and 
exposed to various temperatures. The offspring of such 
a bitch are very often victims of Goiter. When the 
puppies are born the mother's milk lacks sufficient nitro- 
genous properties; they are consequently deprived of 
mineral matter and develop Goiter. Some writers hold 
that this is hereditary, because one or more puppies 
become affected at the same time. I believe that it is 
due to debility, starvation, and what produces it in one 
dog will produce it in another. Although full-grown 
dogs are often victims of Goiters, it is due to some 
debilitated condition drawing on their systems. Even 
though the dog looks well, and appears to be in good 
condition, his food may be deficient in mineral prop- 
erties. 

Symptoms. — Enlargement of the Thyroid bodies of 
the ductless gland situated on the under surface of the 
neck. It may vary from the size of a pigeon's egg to 
the size of a man's two fists. It is very easily detected, 
and does not often interfere with the animal's breathing 
unless it becomes abnormally large and causes pressure 
on the windpipe, jugular vein and esophagus. A dog 
affected with Goiter does not thrive, his hair looks faded, 
dusty and rough. 

Treatment. — Administer Adrenolin twice daily in 
five to ten grain doses half an hour before feeding, and 
two to five grains of Potassium Iodide two times daily 
shortly after feeding. The Potassium Iodide should be 
discontinued when the skin scales, or when an abnormal 
watery discharge from the eyes is present. To the en- 
largement apply Tincture of Iodine once a day with a 
camelhair brush. If the dog has long hair, clip it off 
from over the enlargement. Feed the dog on nitro- 



102 DISEASES OE THE DOG 

genous foods, as raw eggs, Cod Liver Oil, Beef Broth, 
and also supply him with soft bones to chew. Where 
the bowels are constipated, give one to two ounces of 
Castor Oil. The above medicines prescribed are pre- 
scribed for dogs weighing forty pounds, and should be 
increased when given to larger, or decreased when given 
to smaller dogs proportionately to their weight. See 
that the dog has clean, light and well ventilated quar- 
ters to sleep in. 

INDIGESTION 

(Dyspepsia) 

Cause. — Intestinal worms, indigestible and unnutri- 
tious food, foreign bodies in the stomach, eating too 
large a quantity or, in many cases, eating too fast, tor- 
pidity of the liver, derangements of the teeth, as the 
accumulations of tartar cause the gums to become soft 
and sore, resulting in the dog not taking sufficient time 
to chew food properly; excessive or inexcessive exercise, 
or improper attention to the hygienic surroundings often 
derange the digestive system. 

Symptoms. — The appetite is depraved, the dog eats 
grass freely, and vomits often ; colicky pains, persistent 
constipation and bloating, causing the dog serious incon- 
venience. He is irritable, dull and evidently out of 
sorts ; his coat looks faded and feels rough ; the tempera- 
ture and pulse are not much affected ; as a rule the breath 
is foul, the tongue covered with a whitish fur, loss of flesh 
occurs, and paleness of the skin. 

Treatment. — Good hygiene, careful feeding of 
nitrogenous foods and regular exercise plays a very im- 
portant part in the treatment of indigestion. First, en- 
deavor to clean out the Alimentary Canal by the careful 
use of physics, as Calomel in one to three grain doses. 
Feed raw eggs, sweet milk, boiled vegetables, fresh raw 
beef finely chopped. Also give one tablespoonful of 
Cod Liver Oil two or three times a day. I have derived 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 103 

good results in the treatment of Indigestion by using 
the following gastric tonic : Pepsin, two ounces ; Syrup 
of Orange, two ounces; Tincture of Columbia, five 
drams; Tincture Nux Vomica, one dram; Tincture 
Gentian, one dram; water, quantity sufficient to make 
six ounces. Mix and give one or two teaspoonfuls three 
times daily before feeding. In cases where there is 
great difficulty in the dog passing the feces, give rectal 
injections of soap and warm water. 

JAUNDICE 

(Liver Congestion) 

Cause. — A sluggishness of the liver, or by the bile 
duct becoming obstructed by a Calculi (Gall Stone). 
Either condition suppresses the flow of bile into the 
bowels, hence the bile is taken up by the blood and causes 
the visible mucous membranes of the eyes and mouth 
to become yellowish in color. The predisposing causes 
are improper and overfeeding, combined with lack of 
exercise in house dogs, or excessive exercise in hunting 
dogs, exposure to damp, ill-ventilated sleeping quarters, 
producing debility, and liver complications are likely to 
follow. 

Symptoms. — Appetite varied, thirst great, vomiting 
occasionally, the dog shows signs of dullness and sleepi- 
ness. Then there may be alternate diarrhoea and con- 
stipation, the tongue coated and foul in smell, the eyes, 
mouth, inside of the ears, and the skin inside the thighs 
and fore legs become very yellow and dry, temperature 
and pulse not much affected, the dog passes small quan- 
tities of dark amber colored urine frequently, due to 
the bile it contains. In severe cases, the dog loses 
strength and flesh readily and soon becomes a mere 
skeleton. Jaundice is often a complication of other dis- 
eases, as distemper, indigestion, colic, constipation, etc. 

Treatment. — Endeavor to make the dog as com- 
fortable as possible by placing him in quiet, clean, light 



104 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

and well ventilated quarters. If he is in great pain, 
apply hot applications over the seat of pain and admin- 
ister Calomel, one-half grain ; Podophyllin, two grains ; 
Powdered Jalap, one dram; Powdered Rhubarb, one 
dram. Make into six capsules and give one capsule once 
daily to a dog weighing forty pounds; to smaller or 
larger dogs regulate the dose in proportion to their 
weight. The above prescription stimulates the flow of 
bile from the liver into the bowels, which is very import- 
ant in the treatment of Jaundice. Tonics are also neces- 
sary, and I have found the following very beneficial in 
treating convalescing diseases, especially where the ap- 
petite is poor: Pulv. Ferri Sulphate, one dram; Quin- 
ine Sulphate, one dram; Pulv. Nux Vomica, one dram; 
Pulv. Gentian Root, two drams. Mix and make into 
twenty-four capsules and give one capsule three times 
daily just before feeding. This dose should be given to 
a dog weighing about forty pounds. Smaller or larger 
dogs should receive the same medicine in doses propor- 
tionate to their weight. Feed raw eggs, pure sweet 
milk, fresh beef finely chopped, cooked vegetables, beef 
broth, etc. Do not feed too large a quantity at any one 
time. 

LUNG FEVER 

(Congestion of the Limgs — Pneumonia) 

Cause. — Frequently occurs when dogs are accus- 
tomed to warm, comfortable quarters, then exposed to 
cold, drafty kennels during cold weather. In fact, any 
sudden chilling of the body is a common cause of lung 
disorders. Giving fat dogs too much exercise when 
they are not accustomed to it is frequently the cause of 
engorgement and inflammation of the soft spongy tissue 
of the lungs. Excessive exercise or running during the 
hot summer months is apt to cause congestion of the 
lung tissue as well as heat stroke. Washing or dipping 
dogs during cold weather may chill the outer surface of 
the body and result in Congestion of the Lungs. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 105 

Symptoms. — Lung Fever follows as a result of a 
bad cold, and is preceded by the symptoms of the pri- 
mary disease. If due to severe exercise, the animal ap- 
pears greatly exhausted, and the congestion of the lung 
substance is marked and may occur at this stage of the 
disease. Lung Fever usually begins with a chill, and 
is followed by a high fever. The dog lies down most 
of the time, and eats nothing, or very little. The breath- 
ing is hurried and fast, but when the lung becomes badly 
involved it is labored. The character of the pulse beat 
varies, depending on the extent of the inflammation and 
the stage of the disease. In most cases the pulse beats 
are full and quick during the first stage, but later, as 
the condition of the dog improves, more nearly normal. 
A very weak pulse is present in severe and fatal lung 
inflammation. The visible mucous membranes of the 
eyes and mouth have a congested appearance, and there 
may be a slight discharge from the nostrils, reddish in 
color. The expression of the face is distressed and 
anxious, and in severe cases, rigors and chilling of the 
body occur. The respiratory sounds become more or 
less changed from normal. The cough is at first deep 
and dry, later loose and moist. It may be accompanied 
by a hemorrhage of the lungs during the first stages of 
the disease. Other respiratory sounds are revealed by 
placing the ear to the side of the chest wall and listening. 
In the very early stages of lung fever, a crepitating, or 
crackling sound can be heard in the diseased parts ; and 
louder sounds than normal in the healthy areas. Later, 
when the engorgement of the lung substance occurs, and 
the air cells become filled by the inflammatory exudation, 
the respiratory sounds are deadened. On returning to 
the normal, rattling sounds occur. These signs aid 
greatly in determining the dog's condition. The chance 
for recovery depends on the extent and acuteness of the 
disease. Careless handling, exercise, etc., lessens the 
chance for a favorable termination in this disease, and 
good nursing helps more in bringing about a recovery 



106 



DISEASES OF THE DOG 



than the medical treatment. The chances are more un- 
favorable in fat dogs than in lean ones, as the inflam- 
mation is usually more severe in the former. The course 
of the disease is from one to three weeks, and it may 
become chronic id the irritation is kept up. In such 
cases, unthriftineiss is a prominent sign. 

Treatment. — Preventive treatment in Lung Fever 
must not be overlooked. Briefly, it consists in avoiding 
such conditions as may predispose the dog to the disease, 
or act in any way as an exciting cause. Careful nursing 
is a very important part of the treatment. The dog 
should be given a clean, comfortable, well ventilated 
kennel, and kept as quiet as possible. To keep the 
bowels from becoming constipated, give one-half to one 
ounce of Castor Oil daily. Feed raw eggs, pure fresh 
milk, beef broth, etc. In severe cold weather, the dog 
must not be permitted to chill or take more cold. Cover 
him with a blanket, or use artificial heat. As one attack 
predisposes a dog to the second, he should be protected 
from severe cold, or the other extreme, heat, for a few 
weeks after making a complete recovery. It is advis- 
able to apply strong stimulating liniments over the 
lungs, as Aqua Ammonia Fort., one ounce; Oil of Tur- 
pentine, one ounce; Sweet Oil, two ounces. Shake well 
and apply once daily. 

I have found the following prescription very benefi- 
cial in the treatment of Lung Fever, as it regulates the 
heart action, lowers the temperature and stimulates the 
body in general: Tincture Digitalis, one dram; Tinc- 
ture Nux Vomica, one dram ; Nitrous Ether, two drams ; 
Liq. Ammonia Acet., four drams; water, quantity suf- 
ficient to make four ounces. Give one teaspoonful every 
two or three hours. 

All drugs prescribed in the above treatment are 
based on a dog weighing forty pounds. Larger or 
smaller dogs should receive the same medicine but in 
doses proportionate to their weight. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 107 

MAMMITIS 
(Garget, or Inflammation of the Udder) 

Cause. — Inflammation of the Udder commonly oc- 
curs in heavy milkers, and is caused by all the milk not 
being removed. Sometimes it occurs as the result of the 
milk accumulating in the udder when the bitch has lost 
part of her litter. Other causes are obstructed teats, 
injuries to the glandular tissues, and infection from 
germs. Congestion and inflammation of the udder fre- 
quently follow difficult birth. 

Treatment. — Milk the bitch three or four times a 
day. This will usually relieve the congestion. A physic 
of Castor Oil, one or two ounces, should be given and 
the animal fed on easily digested food, as boiled vege- 
tables, fresh raw beef finely chopped, pure sweet milk, 
etc. The udder should be massaged gently with the 
fingers, and the following ointment applied: Gum 
Camphor, one dram; Fluid Extracts of Belladonna, one 
dram; Lanolin, three ounces. Mix and apply two or 
three times daily. Fomentations of hot water are ben- 
eficial in the majority of cases. If the appetite is de- 
prived, administer Nitrate of Potash, two drams ; Pulv. 
Nux Vomica, one dram ; Pulv. Gentian Root, one dram. 
Mix and make into twenty-four capsules and give one 
capsule three times daily before feeding. This dose is 
based on a dog weighing forty pounds. Smaller or 
larger dogs should receive the same medicine, but in 
doses proportionate to their weight. 

MANGE 

Cause. — This skin eruption is produced by the Sar- 
coptes Scabi. There are two other forms of parasites 
that produce Mange, but they are so rarely found that 
we need not mention them. Insanitary conditions favor 
their production. A dog in a poor condition, with a 



108 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

dirty skin, etc., is more liable to be attacked than dogs 
in good condition and with clean skins. It may be com- 
municated in various ways, through kennels, brushes, 
collars, etc. 

Symptoms. — Are generally very plain. It usually 
attacks the back, about the root of the tail, and extends 
to the head and neck, spreading quickly. The scabs do 
not pile up as they do on other large animals, because 
the dogs, on account of the intense itching, continually 
rub and scratch themselves so that only thin scabs can 
form. The affected skin becomes denude of hair, the 
dog becomes thin, emaciated, etc. The parasites can 
be seen with an ordinary magnifying glass, or if the 
small scabs be scraped off and placed on a dark paper in 
the warm sun, you can readily see small, white objects 
moving about. Eczema usually attacks the belly, etc., 
while true Sarcoptic Mange attacks the back and then 
spreads. 

Treatment. — Feed soft, laxative food and give one 
to two ounces of Castor Oil; also provide clean, dry 
sleeping quarters. I have found the following remedy 
very successful in the treatment of Mange : Oil of Tar, 
one-half ounce ; Vinice Turpentine, two ounces ; Sublime 
Sulphur, one pound; Crude Petrolatum, one quart. Ap- 
ply once a day. A few applications are generally suffi- 
cient to effect a cure. Great care should be exercised, 
as this disease is very contagious, and communicated 
to other dogs. 

PLEURISY 

Cause. — The common cause, perhaps, is a sudden 
chilling of the body; cold, damp, chilly weather and 
damp, drafty kennels are favorable conditions to cause 
chilling of the body and the rheumatic form of Pleurisy. 
Germs may also produce it. It is commonly met with 
in specific diseases, as Distemper, etc. 

Symptoms. — Chilling and high temperature, two to 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 109 

four degrees above normal, the dog generally refuses 
to eat, and acts dull. Pain is a noticeable sign, and 
when the sides of the chest are pressed with the hand 
the dog will flinch; this is very noticeable during the 
early stage of the inflammation, and may cause a dog 
to act restless. When breathing the ribs are always 
held rigid. The breathing movements are mostly in the 
muscles of the flanks, the dog getting his breath in short 
jerks. Later, when fluids collect in the chest cavity, the 
breathing is more labored, and all of the abdominal 
muscles are used. On absorption of this fluid, the move- 
ments of the lungs may again become jerky in case the 
inflammation becomes chronic. The character of the 
pulse beats varies, and in some cases is very weak. In 
the early stage of the disease, friction sounds, caused by 
the dry inflamed membranes rubbing against each other, 
are detected on placing the ear against the chest walls. 
Later, the collection of fluids around the lungs may 
deaden all lung sounds, especially towards the lower 
part of the chest. In a mild case of Pleurisy, the in- 
flammation is localized to just part of the lungs, or 
pleura. A lameness in both front limbs and stiffness in 
moving about are the most noticeable signs in this form 
of disease. In Chronic Pleurisy a dog is usually very 
weak and depressed. He is seen frequently lying on 
his side, and shows great difficulty in walking. The 
course of Acute Pleurisy is from six to eighteen days; 
the chronic form may run a course of two or three 
months, or longer. This form is unsatisfactorily treated, 
and the dog eventually dies. 

Treatment. — Place the dog in clean, warm, com- 
fortable surroundings; fresh air is very beneficial, but 
omit any drafts. Internally, administer the following : 
Quinine Sulphate, two drams; Potassium Iodide, two 
drams; Carbonate of Ammonia^ one dram; Potassium 
Nitrate, four drams. Mix and make into thirty- two 
capsules. Give one capsule every three or four hours. 
This dose is based on a dog weighing forty pounds; to 
smaller or larger dogs give the same medicine, but in 



110 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

doses proportionate to their weight. Feed the dog 
raw eggs, pure fresh milk, cooked vegetables, finely 
chopped beef or beef broth, and in some cases I believe 
it is very beneficial to give the dog small doses of brandy. 
Over the lungs apply the following liniment: Aqua 
Ammonia Fort., one ounce; Oil of Turpentine, one 
ounce; Sweet Oil, two ounces. Shake well and apply 
like a shampoo once daily. 

PILES 

(Prolapse of the Rectum) 

Cause. — Overfeeding with too stimulating food, de- 
ficiency in exercise, constipation, causing straining ; con- 
sequently, Piles frequently follows. This condition 
sometimes occurs in weak, debilitated dogs, due to a re- 
laxed condition of the intestines. 

Symptoms. — In some cases only a portion of the 
rectal mucous membrane protrudes outside of the anus. 
In the more severe cases red, bleeding tumors will be 
present. After being exposed for a time, it becomes 
enormously swollen and dark in color, and finally dries 
and cracks on its surface. The protruded part itches 
intensely, and the dog rubs and injures the intestine 
trying to relieve the irritation. Usually the appetite 
falls off, and the dog is restless if not relieved. 

Treatment. — When the dog is constipated, as is 
usually the case it should be given a laxative, such as 
one to three ounces of Castor Oil, and fed on food that 
is loosening to the bowels. The protruded rectal mucous 
membrane should be washed with warm water contain- 
ing five per cent Carbolic Acid until clean ; then replace. 
If badly swollen and inflamed, astringent wash should 
be used, made from Water and Powdered Alum five 
per cent. The protrusion can be returned by gentle 
pressure of the fingers. In case the protruded rectum 
shows signs of sloughing, it should be cut off and the 
cut edges of the rectum stitched to the edges of the anus. 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 111 

RABIES 

(Mad Dog) 

Cause. — Rabies is produced by a specific micro- 
organism that is known to exist in the brain, spinal cord 
and the saliva of affected animals. This disease is 
communicated from one animal to another by in- 
oculation, usually by the bite of a rabied dog, or the 
saliva entering a wound or abrasion. Wild animals, as 
well as domesticated, no doubt spread the disease by 
biting, but it is a fact that dogs are inclined to bite, and 
have a good opportunity to attack people, and hence 
are considered the principal factor in the spread of the 
disease. 

Symptoms. — Are characterized by two forms of 
Rabies: Furious and Dumb. In Furious Rabies, the 
general habits of the dogs are changed. They become 
very restless, excited, and frequently are more affection- 
ate than usual, licking the hands or face, soliciting sym- 
pathy and help. This form of Rabies is extremely 
dangerous, for the dog's tongue is covered with saliva 
containing micro-organisms which, coming in contact 
with thin skin, wounds or abrasions, may inoculate the 
person to whom the dog is attempting to prove its fond- 
ness, etc. This form of inoculation is not uncommon. 
Usually, the dog becomes dull, melancholy, etc., seeking 
some cool, dark and quiet place. The eyes at times are 
fixed, or are rolled about, and there is an abundant 
secretion of saliva, which dribbles from the mouth. It 
frequently gnaws wood, especially if tied or locked up, 
and makes a desperate effort to get away. It also swal- 
lows indigestible objects, and attempts to bite its master, 
mistress and animals. Paralysis soon develops, and the 
dog has difficulty in swallowing, and is unable to move 
about. 

Dumb Rabies.- — This form of Rabies is accom- 
panied by depression and a tendency to lick objects. 



112 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

Paralysis of the muscles that close the mouth causes 
the jaw to drop or hang down. The dog is unable to 
bite and, owing to the relaxed conditions of the mouth, 
he cannot close it. The tongue hangs out, and stringy 
saliva escapes. The dog may attempt to bite even 
though the muscles that close the mouth are paralyzed. 
The duration of the disease is short; paralysis develops 
early in the attack, and death usually occurs in from 
two to four days. 

Treatment. — Prevention. All vagrant dogs should 
be exterminated, and all dogs that appear in public high- 
ways, streets or public places should be muzzled. This 
precaution has practically eradicated the disease in 
Europe. Medical treatment is useless after the first 
appearance of the symptoms. However, a wound in- 
fected by Rabies should be immediately cauterized, or 
even completely cut away, care being taken to cut en- 
tirely around the wound in the healthy flesh. For cau- 
terizing the wound, use Nitric Acid or a hot iron. 
Sometimes a ten per cent solution of Zinc Chloride is 
used, and perhaps it is the most successful. To afford 
absolute protection, this should be done within a few 
minutes after being bitten. However, treatment even 
as late as a few hours has been known to suppress the 
development of the disease. Pasteur has originated a 
virus which is used with great success, and any person 
bitten by a dog suspected of Rabies should be submitted 
to Pasteur's treatment. 

RHEUMATISM 

(Articular and Muscular) 

Cause. — This disease is generally attributed to cold, 
damp, filthy, ill-ventilated kennels, and exposure, but it 
may occur in dogs that are well cared for. Overfeeding 
is also liable to produce it. The most frequent forms of 
Rheumatism in dogs are Lumbago, Chest Pounder, or 
Kennel Lameness. 



CAUSE., SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 113 

Symptoms. — The symptoms are quite marked. 
These are severe loss of appetite, lameness and general 
lack of condition. Sometimes large swellings appear 
in the region of the hock, knee, and joints of the feet. 
The muscles of the back are held stiff and arched, the 
muscles are tender and sensitive when pressed, and the 
dog may be unable to move his hind parts. Other cases 
may show a serious train of symptoms. A bitch that 
has raised a litter of pups, when in poor flesh, is often 
affected with this disease. A lameness of one or more 
of the limbs that shows a tendency to shift about is the 
only sign noticed in the mild form of the disease. Stiff- 
ness of the joints is noticed, especially if the quarters 
are affected, and the dog lies around a good share of 
the time and refuses to go far for its food. In Acute 
Rheumatism, the pain in the affected muscles and joints 
is intense, and when these parts are handled, or the 
joints moved, the dog will whine from the pain pro- 
duced. When lying down, asleep, sudden contractions 
of the muscles may be noticed. This is due to the pain 
resulting from the relaxing of the muscles. This dis- 
ease may pursue a long course; the joints become great- 
ly enlarged, and the dog grows very thin and weak. In 
such cases, a complete recovery seldom follows. 

Treatment. — Prevention is very important, such 
as providing dry, comfortable quarters, and the avoid- 
ance of exposure. Unless this is practiced, but little 
can be obtained from medical treatment. A soft lax- 
ative diet is also indicated: Salicylate Soda, three 
drams ; Quinine Sulphate, one dram. Make into twenty 
capsules and give one capsule every three or four hours. 
When the bowels are constipated, give two or three 
ounces of Castor Oil. The above doses are based on a 
dog weighing forty pounds. Smaller or larger dogs 
should receive the same medicine but proportionately to 
their weight. It is advisable, in cases where the limbs 
are badly swollen, to apply liniments, and I would rec- 
ommend the following: Aqua Ammonia Fort., two 
ounces ; Oil of Turpentine, two ounces ; Sweet Oil, four 



114 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

ounces. Shake and rub on the affected parts once or 
twice daily. 

RICKETS 

Cause. — Perhaps the most common cause of this 
disease is a faulty diet, as food that is deficient in inor- 
ganic matter. Unless supplemented by milk or other 
foods containing lime salt, the bones are not supplied 
with the necessary elements; lack of exercise, ill-ven- 
tilated, filthy kennels, etc., help in causing the disease. 
A tendency towards Rickets in pups is no doubt heredi- 
tary. 

Symptoms. — The dog is usually in good condition at 
the beginning of the disease. Large, well grown pups 
may suddenly develop symptoms of paralysis of the 
hind parts. The weakened condition of the thigh bone, 
not being able to support the dog's weight, fractures. 
At other times there is a weakness and bending of bones 
in the limbs, breaking down of the feet, bending or arch- 
ing of the back, straddling gait, deformed or disfigured 
condition of the face or nose. 

Treatment. — Rickets can be prevented by careful 
feeding on suitable foods and keeping the dog clean in 
well ventilated kennels, where he can get plenty of exer- 
cise. Whenever a litter of several pups show symptoms 
of the disease, the character of the food should be looked 
into, and if faulty corrected by adding to it medicines 
or food containing required elements. It is hardly 
practical to use medical treatment other than bitter 
tonics. Unless the disease is in an advanced stage, it 
can usually be controlled by careful feeding of a ration 
rich in inorganic substances, as bone dust, lime water, 
and crushed egg shells, with a view of supplying cal- 
careous matter to the system. This can be fed to the 
bitch nursing the pups or, if the pups are weaned, feed 
them carefully. 



CAUSE,, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 115 



RINGWORM 

Cause. — Dogs may become infected with Ringworm 
by coming in contact with infected dogs, or by being 
snipped in crates or boxes in which infected dogs have 
recently been transported, or by using blankets, brushes, 
collars, etc., which have been recently used by infected 
dogs. 

Symptoms. — 'Small red spots first appear on the 
skin, gradually enlarging, and are covered with a thin, 
grayish scale, under which is found a serum. The hair 
falls out as a result of the infection of the skin by the 
parasite. The outside of the affected patches is red, 
while the inner portion takes on a grayish-white color, 
giving it a ring appearance. This condition is followed 
by severe itching; the dog rubs and scratches severely. 

Treatment. — The most effective drug is Tincture 
of Iodine, applied once daily with a brush. Great care 
must be exercised, as this disease may be transmitted to 
man, and to all domestic animals. Sanitary surround- 
ings and good, clean food, that is easily digested, assists 
materially in eradicating the parasites. 

ROUNDWORMS 

(Maw Worms) 

This worm is commonly seen infesting the intestines 
of puppies. The body is generally white in color and 
slightly curved at the head. This worm has a stiff, wiry 
appearance, and measures from one to three and one- 
half inches in length. 

Symptoms. — Puppies are more susceptible to these 
worms, although we find them in aged dogs. About 
fifty per cent of the dogs are infested with these worms. 
They cause irritation of the intestines, irregularity of 
digestion, diarrhoea, colic, nervousness, constipation, 



116 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

irregular appetite and a rough, dry, unthrifty appear- 
ance of the hair and skin, and the dog becomes emaciated. 
After this worm migrates into the stomach, it causes 
nausea and vomiting, occasionally the bowels are filled 
with large masses of these worms, and their passage 
aids in determining the cause of the dog's debility. 

Treatment. — Withhold all food from eighteen to 
twenty-four hours and administer Thymol, one grain; 
Santonin, three grains; Calomel, two grains. Mix and 
place in capsule and give in one dose to a dog weighing 
fifty pounds. Smaller or larger dogs should receive the 
same prescription, but in doses proportionate to their 
weight. 

SORE THROAT 

(Pharyngitis — Laryngitis) 

Cause. — Sore Throat is frequently complicated by 
a cold. Sometimes it is produced by inhaling irritating 
gases, or administering irritating medicine. Injuries 
from sharp pointed sticks, eating sharp bones, etc. 

Symptoms. — It is more or less severe. The eyes are 
red and watery, and the dog is dull and lies around most 
of the time. The appetite is poor and, because of the 
pain and difficulty in swallowing, the dog may refuse 
food. The pain in the throat is sometimes severe, and 
causes the dog to move about in a restless manner. The 
character of the cough depends on the part inflamed. 
When the larynx (opening of the windpipe) is involved, 
the cough is usually hoarse and the breathing noisy and 
labored, as the opening is more or less closed by the 
inflammation. At other times it is dry and, when the 
dog moves about, or the parts are irritated by dust, cold 
air, etc., coughing spells usually follow. The throat 
may be swollen so as to be noticeable from the outside. 
Simple Sore Throat is not a serious affection, and lasts 
but a short time. The symptoms may be so mild as to 
escape observation ; however, if the conditions are favor- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 117 

able, it may re-occur and assume a severe form or become 
chronic. 

Treatment. — Place the dog in clean, warm, well 
ventilated quarters and feed soft food that is easily- 
digested, as hot milk, boiled rice, etc., and administer the 
following: Potassium Chlorate, one dram; Liq. Am- 
monia Acet., three ounces; Vini Ipecac, two drams; 
Tincture Camph. Co., one-half ounce; Aqua Chloro- 
form, quantity sufficient to make six ounces. Give one 
teaspoonful every four hours. This dose is based on a 
dog weighing forty pounds. To smaller or larger dogs 
give doses in proportion to their weight. When the 
throat becomes badly swollen, apply a liniment made 
from equal parts of Aqua Ammonia Port., Turpentine 
and Sweet Oil. Apply over the throat and rub in 
briskly. 

TAPEWORM 

(Tenia Marginata) 

Cause. — A dog eating raw flesh of sheep or cattle 
infested with the larva of the Tapeworm or Gid, Sturdy, 
or Water Balls. (See Gid in Sheep.) 

Symptoms. — Tapeworms in dogs are numerous. It 
must be borne in mind that an animal is not free from 
them until the Tapeworm's head, apparently the most 
insignificant part, has passed from the intestines. So 
long as the head remains attached to the wall of the 
bowels by its booklets it will develop fresh eggs, pro- 
ducing segments which are passed and prove the means 
of scattering the parasites. A dog infected with Tape- 
worm, as a rule, is liable to reflex paralysis, coughing 
and convulsions from the irritation caused by its pres- 
ence in the bowels, depraved appetite, unthriftiness, a 
rough, unhealthy condition of the skin, loss of hair, 
anemia, irregularity of the bowels, and the feces offens- 
ive and slimy. There is generally a certain amount of 
irritation of the anus, which renders the dog fond of 



118 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

licking those parts or dragging them along on the 
ground. Tapeworms frequently cause vomiting, and I 
have seen portions of Tapeworms expelled in this way. 
In other cases there may be diarrhoea and obstinate in- 
digestion may be traced to the presence of Tapeworms. 

Treatment. — Withhold all food for twenty-four 
hours and administer Extract of Mail Fern, two drams ; 
Pulv. Areca Nut, one dram. Mix in two tablespoon- 
fuls of syrup and give at one dose. Follow this treat- 
ment in about two hours with one to two ounces of 
Castor Oil. This treatment should be repeated in a 
week or ten days. These doses are based on a dog 
weighing forty pounds. Smaller or larger dogs should 
receive the same medicine, but in doses proportionate to 
their weight. 

VOMITION 

Cause. — This is a symptom which shows itself in 
almost any disease to which the dog is subject, so exten- 
sive are the reflex influences which follow disease in a 
dog. This process of Vomiting can be brought about 
in the dog by means of many medicines, and the good 
effect of emetics is appreciable even to the most casual 
observer. This class of medicines has been much abused 
by those caring for sick dogs, emetics being given for 
any and every disease. They sometimes free the stom- 
ach of irritants and poisons which cause disease and 
poisoning, but their use requires care and judgment. 

Symptoms. — The dog shows very marked symptoms 
of pain, but usually the first signs exhibited are those 
of a sense of discomfort. The dog moans in his sleep, 
wakes suddenly, curls himself up and goes to sleep 
again. This continues until at last the vomiting is too 
urgent to allow rest. The dog utters sharp, shrill, con- 
tinuous cries, tries all sorts of positions to get itself at 
ease, and walks about with the back arched. There may 
be distention of the abdomen, due to the gases gene- 



CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT 119 

rated in the bowels from the fermentation of their eon- 
tents. Colicky symptoms frequently accompany vomit- 
ing, due to the spasmodic contractions of the stomach 
relieving itself of some irritant. 

Treatment. — Knowing that the causes operating 
in the production of Vomiting are so numerous, it will 
be easily understood that the treatment must be equally 
variable. If due to the torpidity of the liver, give 
Calomel, one to two grains. When worms are sus- 
pected, give worm treatment recommended under the 
heading of Worms. When due to poisoning, give milk 
and raw eggs. In case it is due to faulty digestion, or 
where a dog is recovering from some debilitating disease, 
give one-fourth to one-half teaspoonful of Baking 
Soda in a gelatin capsule two or three times a day. The 
following prescription is recommended when all sus- 
pected irritants are removed from the stomach : Diluted 
Prussic Acid !(B. P.), twelve drops; Bismuth Nitrate, 
one dram; Lime Water, four ounces. Mix and give 
one tablespoonful three times daily. This dose is based 
on a dog weighing fifty pounds. Smaller or larger 
dogs should receive the same prescription, but in doses 
proportionate to their weight. This medicine should be 
administered with great precaution, as it is very poison- 
ous when used in larger doses, or given at shorter inter- 
vals than above recommended. 

WOUNDS 

A wound is a disruption of the soft parts of the 
body due to external violence. Wounds are of various 
kinds, as incised, lacerated, punctured, gunshot and 
poisonous. 

Treatment. — If a wound is extensive, and bleeding 
is present, first arrest it, and the most satisfactory 
method is as follows: Tie the artery from which the 
blood is escaping, or twist with forceps, cauterize with 
hot iron, compress by bandaging tightly and apply 



120 DISEASES OF THE DOG 

Tincture of Chloride of Iron. This coagulates the 
blood, and is very effective. One important factor in 
treating wounds is to attend to the drainage, as decom- 
posed matter absorbed into the blood produces blood 
poisoning. Dogs lick wounds and keep them clean, 
therefore it is hardly necessary to apply medicine. 

Sewing Wounds. — I cannot recommend sewing ex- 
cept in cases of incised or clean-cut wounds. After 
clipping the hair from around the incision, and washing 
it thoroughly with a one in one-thousandth solution of 
Bichloride, stitch with cat-gut or absorbent silk suture. 
In case of deep, punctured or gunshot wounds, with a 
syringe wash out the wounds, using a one in one-thou- 
sandth Bichloride solution. For open wounds, use dust- 
ing powders, as Iodoform, Boracic Acid, etc. 

To keep flies from annoying a wounded dog, apply 
the following prescription: Oil of Origanum, one 
ounce; Oil of Turpentine, one ounce; Sweet Oil, one 
ounce. Apply to and around the wound with a feather. 
This is also a good healing liniment as well as a fly 
repellant. 



INDEX 



Swine 



Abortion 7 

Administration of Medicine 

to Hogs 7 

Anus, Prolapse 23 

Bag Inflammation 8 

Black Tooth 8 

Blood Poisoning 9 

Bronchitis 10 

Castration 10 

Catarrh, Nasal 12 

Choking 11 

Cholera 13 

Cold in the Head... 12 

Congestion of the Kidneys.. 16 
Diarrhoea in Young Pigs... 12 

Heat Stroke 31 

Hind Quarter Paralysis ... 22 

Hog Cholera 13 

Hog Lice 18 

Hog Regulator and Tonic. 6 

Indigestion 15 

Inflammation of the Bag... 8 
Inflammation of the Lungs. 18 

Inguinal Rupture 28 

Jaundics 16 

Kidney Congestion 16 

Kidney Worm 17 

Lice on Hogs 18 

Location of Parts of Swine. 6 

Lung Fever 18 

Lung Inflammation 18 

Lung Worms 19 

Mange 20 

Nasal Catarrh 12 

Naval Rupture 20 



Nettle Rash 21 

Paralysis of the Hind Quar- 
ters 22 

Pig Eating 30 

Piles 23 

Pin Worm 24 

Pleurisy 25 

Prolapse of the Anus 23 

Pyemia 9 

Rheumatism 26 

Rickets 26 

Round Worms 27 

Rupture, Inguinal 28 

Rupture, Naval 20 

Rupture, Scrotal 28 

Scours in Young Pigs 12 

Scrotal Rupture 28 

Septcemia 9 

Sore Feet 29 

Sore Mouth 30 

Sows Eating Their Young.. 30 

Sun Stroke 31 

Swine Fever 13 

Thorn-Headed Worms 32 

Thumps 32 

Umbilical Rupture 20 

Urticaira 21 

Whip Worm 33 

Worm in the Kidney 17 

Worm, Lung 19 

Worm, Pin 24 

Worm, Round 27 

Worm, Thorn-Headed 32 

Worm, Whip 33 

Yellows 16 



Sheep 



Abortion 37 

Acute Indigestion 46 

Acute Tympanitis 46 

Black Scours 38 

Bloating 46 

Bronchitis, Verminous 54 

Catarrh 39 

Cold in the Head.... 39 

Congestion of the Liver.... 50 

Congestion of the Lungs... 52 



Congestion of the Udder. . . 43 

Diarrhoea 40 

Dypepsia 48 

Dysentery 40 

Fluke in the Liver 51 

Foot Rot 41 

Forage P'oisoning 42 

Foul in the Foot 41 

Garget 43 

Gid 44 



Grubs in the Head 45 

Head Grubs 45 

Head Maggot 45 

Hoven 46 

Indigestion 48 

Indigestion, Acute 46 

Inflammation of the Liver. . 50 

Inflammation of the Udder.. 43 

Jaundice 50 

Lamb Disease 54 

Liver Congestion 50 

Liver Inflammation 50 

Liver Fluke 51 

Location of Parts of Sheep.. 35 

Louce Fly 57 

Lung Fever 52 



Lung Worms 54 

Mange 55 

Pneumonia 52 

Poisoning on Forage 42 

Pulmonary Apoplexy 52 

Scab 55 

Scours, Black 38 

Strongylosis 38 

Sturdy 44 

Tick 57 

Tympanitis, Acute 46 

Udder Congestion 43 

Udder Inflammation 43 

Verminous Bronchitis 54 

Verminous Gastritis 38 

Worm, Lung 54 



Fowl 



Abortion 76 

Abscesses 65 

Air Sac Mite 61 

Aphtha 79 

Apoplexy 62 

Ascites 72 

Baldness 62 

Beak Obstruction 63 

Blackhead 63 

Body Lice 64 

Body Scabies 76 

Brain Hemorrhage 62 

Bronchitis 64 

Bronchitis, Tracheo Ver- 
minous 74 

Bruises, Deep 65 

Bumble Foot 65 

Catarrh 66 

Catarrh, Gastro-Intestinal. . . 70 

Catarrh of the Crop 69 

Chicken Pox 66 

Cholera, Fowl 80 

Congestion of the Liver 67 

Congestion of the Lungs... 68 

Constipation 68 

Corns 65 

Crop Catarrh 69 

Crop Inflammation 69 

Crop Impaction 69 

Crop Obstruction 69 

Crop Paralysis 69 

Diarrhoea 70 

Diarrhoea, White 80 

Diphetheretis Roup .'. 71 

Diphtheria 71 

Double-Yolk Eggs 72 

Dropsy 72 

Eating Eggs 73 



Eating Feathers 74 

Egg Bound 73 

Egg Eating 73 

Egg, Incomplete 76 

Eggs with Double Yolks... 72 

Eggs without Shells 73 

Eggs with Soft Shells 73 

Enteritis 70 

Favus 62 

Feather Eating 74 

Feather Pulling 74 

Feeding Young Poultry .... 75 

Fowl Cholera 80 

Gapes 74 

Gastro-Intestinal Catarrh . . 70 

Gleet, Vent 80 

Gout 78 

Head Lice 75 

Hemorrhage of the Brain... 62 

How to Feed Young Poultry 75 

Impaction of the Crop 69 

Incomplete Egg 76 

Infectious Entero Hepatis of 

Turkeys 63 

Inflammation of the Crop.. 69 

Inflammation of the Mouth. 77 

Intestinal Obstruction 68 

Intestinal Catarrh 70 

Jundice 76 

Leg Weakness 78 

Lice, Body 64 

Lice, Head 75 

Liver Congestion 67 

Location of Parts of the Fowl 59 

Lung Congestion 68 

Mange 76 

Mite, Air Sac 61 

Mite, Red 77 



Mouth Inflammation 77 

Mouth bore 79 

Obstruction of the Beak.... 63 

Obstruction of the Crop.... 69 

Obstruction of the Intestines 86 

Obstruction of the Throat.. 63 

Paralysis 78 

Paralysis of the Crop 69 

Pip 77 

Pox, Chicken 66 

Pulling Feathers 74 

Pulmonary Congestion 68 

Red Mite 77 

Rheumatism 78 

Roup Diphtheretic 71 

Scabies 78 



Scabies of the Body 76 

Scaly Leg 78 

Soft Shelled Eggs 73 

Sore Head 66 

Sore Mouth 79 

Throat Obstruction 63 

Thrush 79 

Tuberculosis 79 

Turkey (Blaskhead) 63 

Vent Gleet 80 

Verminous Tracheo Bron- 
chitis 74 

Warts 66 

Weakness of the Legs 78 

White Diarrhoea 80 

Worms 82 



Dog 



Abscesses of the Ear 85 

Apoplexy 86 

Articular Rheumatism 112 

Asthma 86 

Barrenness 87 

Bone Fractures 100 

Brain Congestion 86 

Bronchitis 88 

Bronchocele 101 

Burns 89 

Canker of the Ear 90 

Catarrh 90 

Cold in the Head 90 

Colic 92 

Congestion of the Brain ... 86 
Congestion of the Liver. . . . 103 
Congestion of the Lungs... 104 

Conjunctivitis 98 

Constipation 93 

Corea 91 

Diarrhoea 94 

Distemper 95 

Dyesentery 94 

Dyspepsia 102 

Ear Abscesses 85 

Ear Canker 90 

Eczema 97 

Epilepsy 98 

Eye Injuries 98 

Fits 98 

Fractures 100 

Garget 107 

Goiter 101 

Haematoma 85 



Indigestion 102 

Inflammation of the Udder. 107 

Injuries to the Eye 98 

Jaundice 103 

Laryngitis 116 

Liver Congestion 103 

Location of Parts of Dog... 83 

Lung Fever 104 

Mad Dog Ill 

Mammitis : 107 

Mange 107 

Maw Worm 115 

Muscular Rheumatism 112 

Pharyngitis 116 

Piles 110 

Pleurisy 108 

Pneumonia 104 

Prolanse of the Rectum. ... 110 

Rabies Ill 

Rheumatism 112 

Rickets 114 

Ring Worm 115 

Rounl Worm 115 

Scalds 89 

Sore Throat 116 

St. Vitus Dance 91 

Surfeit 97 

Tape-worm 117 

Tenia Marginata 117 

Udder Inflammation 107 

Vomition 118 

Worm, Maw 115 

Worm, Tape 117 

Wounds 119 



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